BeLieVinG iN You
by Sila-chan
Summary: HerD...Hermione found something...or someone...injured on the road. Will her new 'pet' be too much to handle? [snickers It's not what you think] RR?
1. Disclaimer

[«BeLieViNG iN You»]

© Sila-chan

.:: a  u  t  h  o  r    n  o  t  e ::.

I wanted to develop a little more on the "Draco turns up on Hermione's doorstep" kind of plot. A little more violence, a little more plot than before. I hope that this works for ya.

                  ĐìscLªiΜë® 

I'ma put this here. Can I put it here? Do I gotta put it at the start of every chapter? No I don't, COZ U SHOULDA READ DIS ANYWAY!

Don't own Harry Potter. This version of Draco is mine. The concept is freeware :) Spread the love. If you sue, I can probably dig up Mrs Norris...now in a multitude of flavours! All _original_ characters belongin to Ms J.K.Rowling and there is no point flaming or suing coz I'm a poor backwards country gal...LOL

Hit me back by review. 

Much luv, 

§il@.


	2. Make sure it doesn't bite

**[ßēLièViŊg iN ¥°ų]**

Hermione wished upon a star...and got a demon in shining armour.

The WAFFy story that will confuse you to death.

I NEED A BETA READER!!!!!!!!!!!

email at dijitalkitti@hotmail.com

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CHAPTER 1: Make sure it doesn't bite 

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*Hermione*

The sky was a clear blue, mingling with a nice baby pink. Nothing out of the ordinary. No storms, or lightning. So why did I keep shivering today? Something was setting me on edge. Everytime a friend would go to clap my shoulder or hug me, I'd pull away. What was the matter with me? 

I began walking home, cutting through the local park. Sure, there were vagrants and thieves that lived in there, but I was pretty sure they wouldn't hurt me. After all, for all I knew they could have been old classmates from primary school. 

So I was clear through the park, but beginning to wrap my jacket a little closer to myself. Not that I was scared or anything...just it was a little cold. 

Walking, walking. Through a bit of woodland. Greet the keep-houses, little cottages beside the path every 200 meters or so, with lanterns to help travellers at night. Say hi to Mrs Rollins, Mrs Demeter, Mr and Mrs Hamlick, who were relaxing in their garden. 

And then I'm away from the warmth of those lights, you know, just a block away from my house, if that. So I'm walking even faster, I could have sworn I heard footsteps behind me, but perhaps that was my imagination. Finally, I'm just around the corner from my house. I round the corner with relief, and just as I turn to ascend the steps to my home something stops me so, I pause horrified with my hand over my mouth. I'm terrified, and all the old scary tales my older cousins used to tell me re-surface to claim my darkest fears. 

There's a body sprawled in the flickering fluorescent streetlight. 

There's blood.

I turn to run inside, to wake Mummy and Daddy, or even Katrina, the maid. Just to use the phone, wake someone up so I'm not alone out here with this...body. But I hesitate, that shock of platinum blond hair seems so familiar.

And then it stirs. I'm aware of something going on and on, like a constant noise.

Oh. It's me screaming.

Lights flicker on up the street like a bushfire left untended. But no one comes to help. I see their silhouettes in the windows, peering at me as I scream dementedly, crawling over to him on my hands and knees. Dazed by the sudden bright lights, I'm blinking, I'm useless. I'm aware of tears on my face as warm hands put a robe around me and usher me in from the cold, and somebody else brings him in behind me.

Now I'm safe. Now I can collapse. 

___________________________________________________

I raised my head groggily. What was the noise? Where am I? What are all these bright lights? Dare I open my eyes? 

Of course. Don't be silly. I'm a Malfoy, there could be no situation left to terrify me. Gingerly, I force open one eye, then another.

Well, so far it's not too bad. There's a warm fire going in the heath. I'm on a comfortable, modern black leather couch. I can hear it creak and rustle as I move. There's a nice painting across from me. A Picasso re-print, I know, we have the original at home.

"M...Malfoy?" A timid voice stammers.

"His name is Malfoy?" A warm, motherly voice murmurs worriedly. I wish my mother sounded like that. Instead of always being so shrill and cold. I heard the first voice murmur something to the second.

"Draco? Draco, can you hear me?"

"My head hurts." I remark plaintively, squeezing my eyelids shut.

"Oh dear, sorry. Jacob, go get Mr Malfoy some painkillers. Hermione, could you please get some more blankets for me?" I could hear her smiling. I could hear her laughter in her voice. I could almost picture the face of the voice in my head. Wait a second. Did she just say Hermione?

My eyes flew open. Of course. What other girl would call me Malfoy? I twisted my head to the side. It was painful, but something I had to do. What I saw made me groan and shut my eyes immediately.

"Mudblood...curse you and your do-gooding nature. Why am I in your mudblood home?" She frowned, as if pained. She was quite pretty in muggle clothes, wearing a big baggy jumper and shorts, and fluffy slippers. Beside her sat a boy, no older than twelve. Silently he held out a glass that somebody behind me took, and on his other hand he held out two pills.

"Because I found you passed out in front of my 'mudblood home', Malfoy, and my stupid conscience wouldn't let me leave you for dead." She snapped back. Her skin was beginning to regain some colour, even if it was a tinge of anger that brushed her deathly pale skin.

"Why so pale Granger? Nothing smart to say?" I spat out. I was beginning to feel the pain subside, but the headache still throbbed vigorously. 

"I take it you two know each other?" From what I could gather through my muzzy vision, the motherly voice belonged to a lady in her late thirties that was sitting at the foot of the couch I was lying on. I felt a glass at my lips, and a warm, soft hand supporting my head as I swallowed the pills. Muggle drugs. I'd have spat them out if I had a choice.

"Very distantly." I muttered, lying down again. The hand withdrew itself, but I could feel it resting near my head.

"And I take it you don't like each other. I'll also assume Mudblood is a derrogatory term. Well just wait a little longer Mr Malfoy, and the ambulance will come to get you soon." She sounded tired, but patient, as if she was used to being on the receiving end of rudeness everyday. I felt a little bad. It wasn't her fault I had passed out in front of her house. And she was kind enough to take me in. And it wasn't her fault Granger was such a...nerd. 

As a guest, and with the Malfoy name to uphold, I felt ashamed of my behaviour.

"Please, Mrs Granger, forgive me. I guess I must just be a little tired." I reached up and squeezed her hand in apology.

"That's fine Mister..." She paused.

"May I call you Draco?" Hermione scowled. 

"It just seems too formal to call you Mr Malfoy all the time."

"That would be perfectly fine with me, Mrs Granger." I replied somewhat humbly. I glanced at Granger, smirking. She bared her small, even teeth in a snarl, which surprised me. Then, she yawned.

"Oh dear, sorry darling, you must be tired. Why don't you go to bed? I'll make some cocoa for Draco, and wait up for the ambulance. We'll be fine."

Granger protested weakly. I could see she didn't trust me alone with her mother.

"What about Katrina? Couldn't she wait up here? And Josh?"

"She's at her aunt's. Josh is asleep. Go to bed Herm, I'll see you in the morning darling." As her mother kissed her forehead, I felt a surge of jealousy. But it washed away as the motherly hand began to stroke my hair. I was in heaven. Granger glared at me through slitted eyes.

"Go to bed Granger, I could hardly harm anyone in the condition I'm in. Not of course, that I would consider such an action towards such a gracious host..." I gave Mrs Granger my most charming smile. She blushed like a schoolgirl.

"Oh away with you! You need your rest, I'll go make some cocoa." She busied herself brushing her apron, and moved to the kitchen.

"Watch yourself, Malfoy." Hermione hissed.

"Good night to you too, Granger." 

I never knew if Mrs Granger came back with cocoa for me or not. By the time Hermione had finished climbing the stairs I was asleep.


	3. Muggle Devices

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
Chapter 2: Muggle devices  
  
I woke up in a sterile, white environment. The walls made me want to puke, but I closed my mouth and leant against the headboard at the top of my bed. I could control this.  
The future seemed less threatening in daylight. No shadows for cloaks to be concealed in. No streetlights to illuminate prey.  
"So this is muggle hospital." I muttered.  
A young nurse entered the room and blushed.  
"Oh, you're awake Mr Malfoy." She looked away. Looking down, I realised that my sheet had slipped down, exposing most of my body. Oh well.   
"Oh, terribly sorry about that." I wasn't sorry at all. Why should I be, with a body like mine? I'm like a sex god, I thought smugly.   
Or I was, I thought a second later ruefully as I surveyed the bruises and cuts on my thighs and torso. This would take a while to heal. I pulled the sheet back up. *sigh* I'd be out of action for a while at least.  
  
The nurse, still blushing, stepped out. I entertained myself by watching the fascinating lights and switches on the machinery I was plugged into.  
She returned a moment later.  
  
"Er...Mr Malfoy? I do believe you have visitors." Holding open the doorway (ugh, same sea-sick colour as the wall borders), she ushered in Granger plus muggle attachments. I should have known. Not only could she not leave me alone last night, she had to be the first person I see when I goddamn wake up. This was not improving my mood.   
"Hi Draco." Hermione smiled forcefully, clenching her teeth together. Ahh...so she didn't want to see me either. Couldn't really blame her I guess. Although I don't really mind waking up to myself every morning.  
  
"Good Morning, Draco." her mother said in a more pleasant manner. Now I could get a better look at her, I was stunned. Granger's mother was pretty enough, in a makeup-less, natural kinda way. Not the kind of ethereal beauty that ran in my family, but pleasant enough. So how had the gene pool skipped Granger? My glance slid to the timid boy that stood beside Granger. What had she called him? Jacob? Josh? Both names sounded familiar.  
"Hey there." I spoke in my friendliest voice. He cocked his head in consideration, but said nothing back. No big loss.  
"How are you, Draco?" Usually just knowing this woman was a muggle would have made me recoil in disgust, but she was just so friendly and warm...so...unlike my mother.   
I felt disgusted with myself. It must be the blood loss, making me all weepy and sentimental.  
"I'm getting along well, thank you Mrs Granger. I don't suppose you'd be able to tell me when I could be discharged, could you?" I put on my most charming voice.  
"Well..." She looked slightly uncomfortable, and Granger just looked downright mean.  
What was going on here?  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Malfoy...Draco. It's like this. You can either come out of here and stay with us, or you can stay in here and risk getting beaten to death again. What will it be?" Granger's tone was so hoping I'd play on my pride and choose to stay in here.  
"Couldn't I go home?" Not that I wanted to or anything. But I'd rather not stay with Miss Pristine-white Knickers if I could avoid it.  
"Well, you need care and to be located near the hospital. I'm not sure if you live around here, would you be okay at home?" By myself, I mentally added. Mother had lost it a long time ago, and there was no point in turning to Lucius for help. And even if I did live near here, I still had no idea how to get to the hospital. And those fools at the local magical hospital would probably worsen my condition. Stupid mudblood. I was sick, just recovering, and she tries to shoo me away already.  
Very well, I'd choose to live in Muggleville then. Anything to piss her off. And maybe I could learn something to my advantage about muggles. And the Mudblood of course.  
  
"Well then, if it's not too much trouble, Mrs Granger?" The woman looked relieved.  
"No trouble at all Draco. I was hoping that you'd agree to this." Granger looked fit to kill.  
She'd have been a force to be reckoned with if she was in Slytherin. Maybe these holidays weren't so mapped-out after all.  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Draco Malfoy was going to pay, sincerely. He was going to die. Hermione thought of all the wonderful ways this could be accomplished as they sat in the car on the way home. She scowled out the window as the sky began to darken.   
  
Draco, to say the least was surprised at the wealth the Granger's had amassed. From the information he had gathered from Jacob's one word answers, apparently having one maid and a three story house with grounds in their area was quite an achievement.  
Not to mention the fact he was riding in a slick black Jaguar at the moment. Hermione's mother seemed oblivious to her daughter's foul mood, humming along happily to the muggle device in the car which was playing exquisite classical music as she tapped her fingers on the wheel. She glanced up at the sky as they paused at a traffic light.  
  
"Oh shoot, Jakey, it looks like it's going to rain. Could you ring Josh and ask him to bring in the clothing for me?" Draco stopped slouching slowly, looking more interested than ever, despite his attempts to be inconspicuous.   
Where was the phone? And where would it plug into?  
He watched as Jacob rummaged through his mother's black leather handbag and pulled out a small multicoloured device.  
"What is it?" Hermione snorted.  
"It's a mobile phone, Malfoy." He ignored her, eyes focused on the lights emitting from the thing.  
"Hermione dear, please call him Draco." Her mother raised her voice over the music.  
"Mum, please turn it down so Josh can hear me at least." That was the most Draco had heard the kid speak so far. Turning to look at him, he was greeted by a 'you're-weird' look from the boy as he intently watched Jacob punch in numbers on a keypad, then hold the device up to his ear. Weird, it was just like a normal phone, but without the wires! And this one was small enough to be cradled in the palm of his hand.  
"Hello? Josh, that you?"  
"Can you get Josh, Daniel? Thanks."  
"Hey, Josh? Yeah, it's me."  
"Not much. Mum says to bring the washing in." a pause.  
"I think she's sick or something. Or it's her day off." Another curious glance at Draco.  
"I dunno. Oh, and can you set the guest room up?"   
"Er...the one on the top floor, I guess."  
"Yeah."  
"Ok."  
"'Bye."  
He hung up, to find Draco still staring intently at him.  
"What?" He asked, uncomfortable.  
"I was beginning to wonder if you spoke english, Jacob." Hermione gave another rude snort as Jacob let the beginnings of a smile seep across his face. Draco kept silent. What would they have said if they knew he had been serious?  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Draco arrived at the Granger's house to music blaring from around the second floor. It was some form of insane house music. Glancing at Mrs Granger, he expected her to have a scowl or even a frown on her face. Not the big smile she had at the moment.  
Even Hermione was smiling, though Jacob retained the same careful expression Draco had seen on him since last night.  
  
"We're home!" Draco winced as a voice bounced through the house, echoing 'motherfucker, fuck, fuck, fuck her' before mixing into a hard techno beat. Not that he didn't enjoy this kind of music, but it wasn't something you really played for your mother to come home to.  
"Hey! Did you get any food?" A ball of playful energy came hurtling down the stairs, followed by two yawning and lazing figures. As the ball came to a stop at his feet, Draco noticed it was a puppy. A very, very adorable puppy. Even to Draco Malfoy, who would have preferred snakes and birds. He knelt down and patted it.  
"Josh! Not even a hello for your only sister. And you're awake before 12! It's a miracle!" Hermione mocked punched him, and he laughed and danced up to hug her. Draco was guessing it was her brother, when Josh caught his eye.  
"Yeah, it's nice to see you home, 'Mione. Ahhh...you're the dead body. Neighbourhood's talking about you." He said, nodding his head towards the street outside. Draco forced a bitter smile onto his face.  
"Nice to meet you, I'm Josh." The guy was big. Not someone you wanted to mess with, Draco realised as he shook the hand that Josh offered. The guy was two inches taller than himself, and Draco stood at six foot three. The other figure was going through the fridge.   
"Yes Daniel, make yourself at home, as always." Mrs Granger laughed as the figure turned around.  
  
Draco nearly cried out.  
The other boy was almost a duplicate of that fugitive, Sirius Black. But this was the muggle world, right? No way that he could be here.  
And definitely not that young.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"This is your room. I guess Josh thought it would be amusing to stick you in the room next to mine." Hermione sighed.  
"Look, Granger-"  
"Why are you here, Malfoy?" Her tired expression had faded slightly to mingle with a mixture of curiousity, forbidding and conflict.  
"I'll tell you later."  
"Yeah, right. Forget it then Malfoy." she scoffed, and turned away to push open the door to her room. He stuck his hand out to hold the door.  
"I'm serious. I promise I will." He followed her.  
"Do Malfoy's break their promises?" He flinched.  
"No. No, they don't." A hand on my chest pushed me out of the doorway.  
"Good." She moved to shut the door again.  
"Thank you Granger." I stated softly, not stopping her. She paused, then continued into her room, showing no signs of having heard me. The door shut before I could get a good look, but what I saw was beautiful. Her room had fairylights and all. I sighed, throwing open the blinds.  
"It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring..." I looked down to feel something rubbing against my leg.  
"Hello, where did you come from?" I picked the small kitten up, cradling it in my arms. It mewled as it tugged at my sleeve.   
"Alright. I'll read you a story, how's that?"  
  
I was on the shaky road to recovery.   
  
  
I just needed some time.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
  
Thanks to SamanthaPotter, SilverDragon and Hyper_shark!  
  
Samantha Potter:   
Er...well Draco can be a pet to Hermione in the sense...well, you know...you gotta clean up their mess...feed the damn things...in return they just get in trouble and give you those adorable puppy eyes...*drool*  
  
Hyper_Shark:  
I know Draco's pretty rude and I'm gonna attempt to maintain that attitude...but I'm failing so far...sorry :( He's gonna become sappy within the next seven chapters...that's basically what I wrote this story as...WAFF! *throws it at you*  
  
SilverDragon:  
Well...I'd write more but I didn't really got much to say...so BEWARE THE CHICKENS! Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! *runs off screaming* Kea, I'll make you pay! I swear! *curses at the sky and is suddenly struck by lightening*  
Erg...chapter four might have to wait...*crumples* 


	4. Explanaaaations

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
An this wun's dedicated to Hyper_Shark...for reasons unknown to mankind.  
R/R, if it pleases u.  
  
Chapter 3: Explanaaaations...  
  
Dinner was a courteous and pleasant affair. Mr Granger was a forbidding man, quite the opposite of that idiot Weasley, who Draco had the misfortune to meet before. But Mr Granger was pleasant enough, once he knew that there was no chance of Draco disrupting the household. He spoke of wonderous new things to Draco, like the Muggle 'economy', and a strange place called 'Wall Street'. He explained to Draco about Muggle money, and how to use it. He stumbled a little over the conversion terms, where Hermione helped out. And not once did he speak about being a dentist. That threw Draco off a little bit. Overall, the father was not what he expected at all.  
  
Hermione sat quietly, brooding over her food. How could her worst enemy end up living in her house? Next door to her room? Why her, of all people? Why not Pansy Parkinson or someone else? But that was the hand the Fates had dealt her, and she had to learn to live with it.   
"Stupid Fates..." she muttered as she picked at her food.  
Mrs Granger ("Please, call me Angelina"), was busy occupying Jacob with some family history apparently. Josh, and Daniel were busy taking advantage of Draco's gullibility.  
In a good-hearted way, of course. You know, about the 'free money' that credit cards gave away. Mrs Granger spent the rest of dinner trying to help poor Draco understand.  
  
Draco brooded thoughtfully as he pushed open the door to his room. The Granger family (plus Josh's friend Daniel, who just seemed to be a live-in) were picturesque, very much the loving family home that Draco had always envisioned the Mudblood to have. Do-gooding, smart, intelligent and loving. He sighed. He needed to escape, and soon, before their Brady Bunch influence rubbed off on him. He began to strip off in preparation for bed. Josh had been kind enough to lend some old sweatshirts and pants for Draco to wear to bed. He began to mull over Daniel. Something was off about that boy, and it wasn't just his resemblance to Sirius Black.  
  
A soft knock sounded at the door.  
  
"Malfoy?" Old habits died hard. He pulled the trousers up and tied the drawstring.  
"I'm decent, Granger." She entered gracefully, dressed in the same jumper and pants as last night.   
"I brought you some cocoa." She placed the tray on his dresser.  
"Thanks." he muttered.  
"Where'd the kitten come from, Malfoy?" She asked, scooping up the little white ball of fur. It was his turn to look surprised.  
"I thought it was yours?" he asked. Hermione looked surprised.  
"Maybe it accidentally wandered in when Daniel left the door open. Oh well. She's a cute one, aren't you bubby?" She snuggled it as she gracefully clambered onto the bed. The kitten nestled towards her, mewling.   
'Evil cat. Betrayer...' Draco's conscience of doom muttered in his head.   
"So...err. Where were we?" Draco fell onto the leather couch in his room. Hermione raised an eyebrow.  
"You could sit on the bed you know. I won't bite."  
"No thanks. I prefer to keep my distance. I don't want to get dirty." He sneered.  
"Suit yourself." She had shrugged, not seeming to care. Strangely, he had regretted it when the words came out of his mouth. So childish of him. And strangely enough, the words had hurt Hermione more than she thought they would. She should have expected them though, right? Because, you know, this was Malfoy, right?  
Each in their own little worlds of thought, they looked up at the same moment.   
"Why did you help me?"  
"Why did you accept our help?" They spoke simutaneously. A small, twisted smile touched Draco's lips as Hermione gave a small chuckle.  
"Why don't you go first, Granger?" She paused, a hooded look in her eyes.  
"You should know as well as I that leaving semi-alive bodies in the street is not in my nature, Malfoy. Even if they're you." She spoke curtly, stroking the kitten.  
"Well. Thank you for making me feel so loved." he drawled. She shrugged.  
"It's not in my nature to lie, either." She sighed.  
"You're not beyond redemption, Malfoy. As far as I know, you haven't killed anyone yet, have you?" He closed his eyes. Trying to block out the pain. Trying to block out the silent screams. There was silence.  
"I...Malfoy. If it pains you so, don't answer. I'm not sure if I want to know." Her voice was unsteady as she spoke, the hand that stroked the kitten trembling.   
"No. No, it's okay. Not through my own direct course of action I haven't. Not through my own will." His hands tightened and contracted around the cushion as he stared at the roof listlessly.  
"D...Draco?" She had completely stopped stroking the kitten now, and was just staring at him, mouth open in astonishment. He snapped.   
"Never mind my story. Why did you do it, Granger? So I could owe you something? Perhaps for me to stop calling you a mudblood? All you had to do was ask." He was being cruel, he knew it. But it was his only defence.   
Her eyes narrowed. Damn, she saw through him.  
"I know you're trying to defend yourself, Malfoy. And you know what? I don't care. I don't care about your petty insults, and I _have_ been asking you to stop it, ever since fourth year, you incompetent moron. If I had the choice, I'd leave this room right now, and get my brother to kick your ass. But you know what? I'm too curious. I want to know exactly what made the great high and mighty Draco Malfoy accept the hospitality of Muggles. I want to know how the amazing Draco Malfoy ended up in a puddle of pureblood outside my home. And I'm not leaving here until I find out." She spat at him, so quickly that he was overwhelmed by the sudden rush of hatred and blazing anger in her voice.  
"Fine, _mudblood_. You want the truth? I'll give you the filthy truth. I'll show you the world isn't so bloody black and white after all." She sat silently, glaring at him. He couldn't take it anymore, and stood up, walking towards the window.  
"I was lying outside your house Granger, because my mansion isn't far from here. In fact, I apparated my cold and broken body to outside your home because I was looking for you. That's right, you." He responded to her shocked and surprised look.  
"I'm going to trust your intelligence and choose my next sentences very carefully. You choose what you will to interpret to your family, I don't think they'd understand." She gazed at him, and he took that as an indication to continue. He took a deep breath.  
"I'm in hiding, from something so evil that I'd rather live with a pack of Mudbloods than brave my own home. For day and night my father has been so sick that the entire Malfoy estate is falling into disrepair. The house elves are too terrified to be of any service, and my mother..." He looked pale, but continued on, voice ruthless and ice-cold.  
"...My mother is dead. I believe that's what set father off. My father's been possessed by something Granger. He's been frothing and spitting at the mouth for four days now." Another breath.   
"The injuries inflicted upon me that you saw were a result of a visit from the High and All-Mighty Dark Lord. He wasn't pleased with what had happened to his favourite...friend." The word sounded odd coming from his mouth. He didn't say it in a nasty way. He didn't think he could say it again. He just knew that there was no way in hell that he could say Death Eater. Draco looked at her, and she just kept staring, silent. He sighed.  
"My father used to be a lycanthrope, Granger. Do you know what that means?" He asked, running a hand through his white-blonde hair.  
"He's...he was? A...werewolf?" She looked shocked.  
"Correct. Voldemort kindly cured him of that condition. But I suspect he was attacked in the forest by something supernatural, and that, intermingled with the werewolf genes in his blood has caused him to go mad with bloodlust."  
"But this is only once a month, right?" Draco turned away from the window, sliding onto the bed besides her.  
"Wrong, Granger. This is 24/7, until he masters it. Granger, I don't think you understand. He's a little more than a werewolf now. He's a 'hybrid', with wolf strength. With wolf appetite. And a wolf's brain, and bloodlust. He wants to do more than eat me, Granger. He wants to shred me up and serve my innards to Voldemort on a plate." Hermione looked shocked, but thought quickly.  
'His own son...'  
"That still doesn't explain why you came to me for help." She spoke, and he sighed.  
"You're the closest person to my house. The estate is disguised, it's in that meadow on the street between the park and the forest. He can't smell me out amongst all the muggles."  
"Why me though? Why not Pansy, or Blaise?" She persisted.  
"Because you're the only one with a do-gooding nature. I needed a Gryffindor. Who else could I trust, so foolishly? Certainly not a Slytherin. And I'll be damned if I leave my fate to a Hufflepuff."  
"I see." She rose off the bed, deep in thought.  
"Granger?" She paused by the dresser, hand on her warm mug of cocoa.  
"My future is in your hands now. You have the proof to throw me and my family in Azkaban." he stated warily.  
"Does that mean I can get you to roll over and play dead?" She asked sweetly.  
"If you would take advantage of it, then yes." He gritted his teeth. Her eyes narrowed.  
"You should know better than anyone, when you came to my house last night Draco Malfoy. I do favours for people because that's the way I am. To expect anything in return would be setting myself up for a very hard fall." She remarked coldy before closing the door. A small crack of light shone through the crack between the door and the floor.  
"Good night." She said curtly, her voice muffled through the solid wood of the door.  
He didn't bother to reply. Switching off the lights, he paused, listening to the rain spatter on the tin roof. His reverie was interrupted by a feline yawn.  
  
"You know, cat, we need to name you." He crawled into bed, and fell asleep stroking the kitten.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Two hours later...  
  
I lay awake in my bed, listening to the endless rainfall outside. I used to think it was so magical, but tonight it was just irritating me.  
Did that mean Malfoy was a werewolf? He said 'werewolf genes', so I'm assuming that it was hereditary. Did Voldemort cure him also?   
He was so bitter, and defensive. But better defensive than vicious, I say. I rolled over to switch my lamp off.  
Tapping? I listened intently. I wasn't hearing things.  
"Granger? Can you hear me?" Draco's voice was muffled.  
Should I respond? Might as well, I wasn't feeling tired yet.  
"Yea Malfoy. What you want?" It felt weird talking to a wall.   
"Hey Granger..." A pause.  
"Yeah?"  
"Can we go shopping tomorrow?"  
"Alright." I thought that was the end of it, so I turned to climb back into bed. It was like the sadistic bastard knew what I was doing.  
"Hey Granger?" I paused. Slowly, I walked the distance back to the wall.  
"What Malfoy?"  
"Why is the sky blue?"  
Growling, I stomped to my door and threw it open, then pushed his door open. He was reclining on the black leather lounge, kitten in one hand as he pressed his ear to the wall.  
"Looking for me, Malfoy?" He looked up, startled, then gave me a sly, cheeky grin.  
"But I was lonely Granger..." He made puppy eyes at me.  
"Go to bed Malfoy. And stop pulling that damn gopher face. It's disgusting."  
"But-"  
"Go to bed!!" I stomped my foot. He made a face.  
"Fine."  
"Hey Granger-"  
"WHAT."  
"Why are you such a Mudblood?" And he leapt into his bed, laughing as if it was some hilarious joke.  
"You're lucky it's too cold and I just want to go to bed Malfoy. I'm going to kick your ass tomorrow."  
"Hey Granger..."  
"No Malfoy."  
"But Granger..."  
"NO MALFOY."  
"I just wanted to ask you to stoke the fire for me."  
"What, you think I'm some kind of slave?"  
"Please? I think the cat's cold."  
"It's a kitten, Malfoy, not a cat. Fine. You sadistic bastard." I stomped up to the grate and threw more wood in a poked it around.  
"There, you happy?"  
"Cat, kitten...all pussy's the same." He gave me a perverted wink.  
"You. Are. So. Dead. Get out my house tomorrow, Malfoy. You can go to hell for all I care." I started shouting.  
"But your family loves me! And speaking of which, you'd better hush, before you wake them." And it was true. They did like the cold-hearted bastard, for goodness knows why.  
"I hate you. I hope you burn."  
"I hate you too Mudblood." He smirked, and turned off the light.   
"Whoo, you look scary in the firelight, Granger. That's one wild mane you got going there..." I snarled in frustration. Why was I still standing there? I grabbed the door roughly.  
"What, no kiss goodnight?" His voice called.   
"I don't have any poison to coat my lips with. Go to sleep, dickhead."  
"Reowr." I slammed the door shut, cheeks burning as I stormed into my room. What an infuriating git!  
  
Draco snuggled into his bedsheets, kitten purring as it nestled at his feet.  
"Ah...a job well done. I'll sleep well tonight. Good night kitty." the little ball of fluff turned around three times before it snuggled into the warm blankets.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
**thank-you's**  
  
couch-potato:  
Why thank you...personally I do have a feeling that there will be a plot entering this story sometime soon...*prays to the gods of literature and all things creative* Why? Why?   
And THANK YOU for adding me to your favourite stories list! Mwhahahaah...*lightning strikes again* erk...  
  
candledot:  
Mwhahaha...more chapters for you! On the silver platter that is fanfiction.net. *twitch*  
  
kawaii-kirei:  
Interesting nickname...cute pretty? LOL Yes, yes...I think he must have received some brain damage along the way...but this is a D/Hr fic anyway...*shrug*   
  
Broken-Hermione:  
LOL of course...that evil tylenol and morphine...*twitch twitch* Ahahahah! If I lose the plot you know what I'm on! *snore* Zzzzzzz...  
  
hyper_shark:  
Ahah! I love you! *moon eyes* You read all three chapters! *ahem* yes, I'm sad, i know...*shrug* but this one's dedicated to u!   
  
*mutters* I really need a life.   
  
  
Well, that was a long one! Now we get a little further into it. I know it's boring, but kinda semi-essential to any plot that might develop...so you might want to read it. Erk...And...sorry it's all in conversation form mostly...not my usual style of writing but I seem to be stuck in it at the moment.  
It's good if you can concentrate that long...so sorry about any mistakes, coz I sure as hell can't concentrate long enough to proofread...anyone want to do it for me? LOL   
e-mail eazydreamer@hotmail.com if you want to be a beta reader... :)  
This is only the second night that Draco's been there, remember? Take it easy! And sorry if I bored ya...mwahahaha, no I'm not really. 


	5. Frienemies

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
A/N: Aaaaaaaaaahhhh! WAFF content ahead! Mwahahaha...skip this chapter if you want...not really crucial if you don't like WAFF. 20 FREAKING REVIEWS! AND I ONLY ASKED FOR 2! I couldn't believe my eyes! *sob* I LOOOOOOOVE YOU PEOPLE! *thanks are at the bottom of the chapter*  
  
Chapter 4: Frienemies  
  
"Hey, wake up." Draco opened his eyes to Josh standing at the foot of the bed. His eyes moved to the clock behind Josh. The poor boy had glazed eyes.  
"You're up early." It took a while for him to focus, as he spent the time rubbing his eyes and stretching. What time did Muggles wake up? Josh was still looking dazed.  
"Yeah. Mum sent me. Maid cooking breakfast. You downstairs. You shopping today. Talk to 'Mione." He yawned, and robotically stumbled back to his room.   
"G'night." he called over his shoulder. Draco scratched his head. He was sure it was daytime...  
Well. At least Draco knew he had one ally. He looked at the muggle clothing Josh had thrown on his bed with distaste. Shopping was definitely a viable option today.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hermione had climbed into the car and dozed off straight after clicking her seat belt. Draco was still having troubles with his. He decided to just hold it in place instead of seeming stupid to these inferior muggles.  
"Draco dear, I thought that we'd send Jacob to school first, and then I'd drop 'Mione and you off at the local mall, is that okay? I'd go, but I have to go to work, worse luck." She looked as tired as Hermione. Draco wondered why he was so full of energy.  
"That's more than fine Mrs Granger, thank you indeed."  
"Oh dear, you don't have any english muggle money, do you? Bye dear!" She waved as Jacob hopped out of the car.  
"Er...no, I don't think so."  
"Well 'Mione has my credit card, use that and then you can pay her back later, is that okay?"  
"Again, that's more than fine, Mrs Granger. I only hope one day I can pay you back for your hospitality." She dismissed him with a blushing wave.  
"It's nothing, the least we can do. Now sit back and relax, we'll be at the mall in about half an hour."  
  
"Hey Granger..."  
"Rot in hell Malfoy. I'm too tired to beat you up." He smirked, but kept quiet.  
  
Fifteen minutes later...  
  
Draco settled back, eyes closed as he appreciated the music. He felt a weight on his shoulder, and his eyes flew open in surprise. Looking small and vulnerable, Hermione had rested her head on his shoulder, hair hanging over her face. Well, at least she wasn't drooling. He picked a lock of hair up with distaste, so he could see her face.  
"Wake up mudblood. Get off me." He whispered urgently as he poked her. She buried her head further onto his shoulder.  
"Come on, get off!" He said a little louder. His cheeks flamed as he caught Mrs Granger smirking in the rear view mirror.  
"Nice to see you two getting along better." She pulled up in a parking bay.  
"Get up Hermione! God's sakes!" He shook his arm, releasing the seat belt he had been holding down. It flew up and smacked him in the cheek.  
"Ow." He blinked painfully.  
"Huh? Oh, thanks mum." Hermione awoke, and leant over to kiss her mother.  
"Bye. Come on Draco, don't be stupid." She got out of the car and walked off, not waiting for him. He could see her yawning sleepily in the distance.  
"Bye Mrs Granger, thank you again." Cursing under his breath, he got out and called for Hermione to wait up as he nursed his cheek.  
  
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"So Granger. I guess I must be your dream come true, hey?" He smirked as several girls double-checked him. He jogged to keep up pace with her. She was determinedly climbing the steps.  
"Shut up Malfoy. You're the only reason I'm out of bed this early in the morning, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. You're a bloody nightmare, that's what." She growled, pushing open the giant frosted-glass door. Draco blinked, startled, at the sudden onslaught of noise and colour. Far from Knockturn Alley, and far from Diagon Alley, a mall was another entirely new muggle experience. Polished and waxed floors caused him to be more cautious with his steps. Glass, steel and polished marble greeted him from every direction. Head up in wonder, he gasped as he walked into something. He looked down at five feet two of pure...beast.  
"Oof! Watch it Granger!" She had turned around, hands planted on her hips.  
"You watch it, jackass. I'm the one with the money here." He scowled. It was true.  
"Now, what kind of clothes are you into?" He shrugged.  
"I've never had cause to lower myself to wearing muggle clothing." He sneered disdainfully. She sighed frustratedly.  
"You are an impossible git, you know that, Malfoy? I really despise you sometimes." At a lack of response, she growled and grabbed him by the shirt.  
"Come on. We're just going to have to experiment then." Draco protested as she hauled him through the crowds, but he didn't have the heart. She had an evil gleam in her eyes.  
  
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"Okay. Now which store to go to first?" They stood in front of a cul de sac of shops. Hermione was never one for shopping, Draco analyzed. It explained her lack of beauty. After all, the clothes made the man. Or was it something else? Dusting her hands off him, he straightened himself and warily tapped her shoulder.  
"If I may suggest something?" A slight smile tugged at his lips. Hermione recognised that barely there smirk. It meant something was about to happen that she didn't want to. She sighed.  
"Go ahead Malfoy. The day can't get any worse." She moaned.  
By Murphy's law, they did.  
  
"Well well. If it isn't Miss Granger." Hermione's eyes widened as she turned around.  
"Eloise?" She asked disbelievingly.  
"Oh! How sweet, she remembers me." The girl spoke mockingly. Her friends tittered. Draco stood back, warily.   
She was a little taller than Hermione, with straight, shining brown hair and a perfect complexion. Cold slate-grey eyes peered from beneath heavy lashes and pale rosebud lips curled up into a smirk. Behind her was a pack of similar looking girls, all in the same exclusive uniform.  
"What happened to you?" Hermione was still in a state of shock.  
"Me? Well, after you abandoned us, Mila, Yuri and I split up. Oh, by the way, Yuri's dead." She spoke with a maliciousness in her voice.   
The world spun for Hermione. No way was this real. No way. Yuri? But Eloise was continuing on, and Hermione forced herself to listen.  
"But you would have known that, if you had stayed. But no, Iorin was never good enough for you, was it? Miss Granger had to ascertain to higher expectations." The girl fluttered her eyelashes as the girls behind her giggled.  
"Remember me, Granger?" Another slight girl stepped forward, her shoulders tense as she began to twirl her bag threateningly. Draco began to feel uneasy. What exactly was happening here?  
"Lucy?" The girl was in shock. Draco's objective now involved getting her away from this pack of wolves. As he moved forward, Eloise caught sight of him.  
"Why hello." She purred. She held out a hand, preventing the rest of the pack from advancing. Draco had never realised how true the term 'a pack of schoolgirls' might be. The differences between these mere muggles and wolves were not numbering many.  
"And who might this be?" She stepped closer to Draco.  
"Granger. I think we should go." He stepped back, towards Hermione. She was still in shock.   
"Why don't you come back to my place? I'm sure we could find something to do with you...Don't worry about her. She's no fun." Eloise pouted sultrily.  
"I don't know who you are. Stay away from Granger and I." His eyes narrowed.  
"I don't know who you are either," she mocked. "But I will find out. And I'm looking forward to the day we meet again." She motioned for the pack to leave.  
"Bye Hermi." she mocked, pushing the smaller girl as they left. Draco turned to look at Hermione and was worried to see tears in her eyes.  
"Granger?"  
"Leave me alone." She pushed him away.  
"Come on Granger. Hermione. Let's go home." He carefully took her arm.  
"No. Let's get you some clothes." She was forcing herself not to cry, he could see. He'd done that so many times before.  
"I think-" She cut him off midsentence.  
"I don't care what you think!" She snapped.   
"Anyway, you can't wear my brother's smelly stuff forever." She gave him a shaky, forced smile.  
"Come on Granger. I'll keep you safe." It had meant to be mocking, but it somehow came out...nice. He watched in horror as his arm slid around her waist, and surprisingly she didn't protest. Hell, he didn't protest. She sniffed and curled into him. Half of him was disgusted with himself. The other half said it was difficult walking like this, but hey. You couldn't have everything your way.  
"I'm not crying because of them, you know." Draco kept silent.  
"It's because of Yuri."  
"Oh?" She slowly disentangled herself from him and sniffed. Draco sighed and offered his hankerchief to her.   
"Thank you." He shrugged.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Granger, I can't go out in these." There was panic in his voice.  
"Aw, come on Draco! This is meant to be fun!"  
"Fun does not have me spilling out of my pants!" He yelled. Hermione's eyes widened, then she snickered. (A/N...mmm...tasty Draco in leather)  
"What about the other pair?" His voice relaxed.  
"They aren't so bad. If I may say so, I look damn sexy in them." He replied smugly.  
"Well, show me then?" After a moments rustling, the door opened to reveal Draco Malfoy, sex god, in a leather shirt with high collar and buckles at the neck. The sleeves were rolled up to the length of three quarter length, and he was wearing baggy pants from some soft material that shimmered subtly.  
"Not my style, but I will admit that it's not bad."  
"Not bad?" He raised his eyebrow.  
"Alright, fine, you look great." She grunted, grouchily.  
"But of course I do. I look better than anyone else that ever tried these on, of course."  
"I wouldn't be so sure of yourself." A figure spoke from the doorway. Both turned, surprised.  
"Cousin Damien." 'Muggle-loving fool. What the bloody hell is he doing here?' He thought.  
"Why hello dearest Draco." He replied in the ever-familiar Malfoy drawl. But his mind raced, brought down with a sudden rush of despair and sadness.  
'He's been broken. Lucius has tainted this one with his black heart.'  
He kept his face statue-smooth, no emotions revealed.  
"What happened? We thought you were lost to us." Hermione kept her mouth open. This guy was truly droolworthy. His black hair was streaked with the same white-blonde as Draco's, and his ears bore three rings in the top left cartelidge. He had the eyes of a wolf though. Intense honey-gold. So it obviously was hereditary.  
"Mixing with Muggles, Draco?" Damien smiled graciously at Hermione. Well, nice to know the Malfoy's weren't all evil.  
"Not of my own choice." From Damien's thoughtful nod, it appeared he had already heard of Lucius's conditon.  
"I'd invite you to stay with me, but the woman's pregnant again, and if I know you as well as I always have, you don't want to stay with a cranky woman and two two-year old twins." Draco's eyes went blank.  
"I'll be okay, thank you all the same." Hermione tugged on his sleeve.  
"Sorry. This is my cousin Damien Malfoy III, and this is Mudblood. Hermione Granger." Hermione glared at him hatefully. His eyes seemed to be emotionless, unreadable. His voice mocking. Turning away from him, she gritted her teeth and smiled at Damien.  
"How do you do?"  
"Whoa, upper class London. How on earth do you know her? Oh, and I thought you knew better than to talk about 'Mudblood's' to me, Draco." The tone was a little frostier than Hermione expected. Damien turned to her.  
"I have a muggle-born wife at home. I understand what it feels like to be predjudiced against by the Malfoy's first hand, trust me." He explained. Draco's lip curled into a sneer. Damien suddenly stood properly, removing his hand from the doorframe where he had been slouching and bending to pick up his shopping bags.  
"Anyway cousin. Feel free to visit me as long as you are here. I cannot deny hospitality to my family. Look us up in the phone book." With a casual wave, he walked off.  
"Alright then Granger. Shall we continue?"   
"Whatever is to your liking, Master Malfoy." With ice in her voice, she looked at him, disgusted before walking off.  
'That is really not fair. I meet up with one of my old best friends to find out she wants to kill me, and Malfoy gets to meet his really really hot cousin.' She could feel the tears burning at the backs of her eyes. Brushing them away impatiently, she stormed off into another store.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________   
  
"Come on Granger. What's the matter?" He spoke from behind the doors of another changing room.  
"NOTHING. I said it once and I'll say it again. I'm just tired, that's all." She spoke from the cubicle next to him.  
"Yeah, tell me about it. I still have bruises on my bruises." She was amazed at how quickly he changed from an asshole to a cheery, good-natured person. She didn't respond to him.  
He heaved a sigh.  
"Come on. What is it?" She looked up, screaming as Draco smirked from over the partition between the cubicles.  
"AAAAahhh! Pervert!" She clutched a shirt to her chest.  
"Hush Granger, someone will hear you!" He smirked evilly, then dropped down. Her anger flared. Bursting out of her cubicle, she threw open the door to his.   
"You are such a jerk! I'm going to kill you Malfoy!" She pushed him against the wall, then shut the door behind her.  
"Ooh. I like this. Me and you, half-naked in a dressing room. I wonder what will happen next?" He grinned cheekily as she punched him, causing his head to snap sideways.  
Her anger dissipated as she just kept striking at him. After three blows rained upon him, she realised that he wasn't hitting back. And it must hurt him like hell, because he winced and gritted his teeth after every blow. He was still injured. Oh God, she had lost her temper at an invalid. She stepped back, chest heaving, wide-eyed. Draco opened his eyes.  
"Ow. Fesity. You're cute when you're mad, you know that?" He said tiredly, then closed his eyes again, waiting for the blows. Call him a masochist, but...   
His eyes flew open when he felt soft arms wrap around him, and soft skin press against his chest.   
"G...Granger?" something wet tricked down his chest, coming to rest in his navel.  
"I'm sorry." Her head was buried into his chest, and her voice was shaking. Was she crying? He hauled her up to a sitting position in his lap, and sighed.  
"Tell me what's the matter."  
"No. There's nothing to tell. You're a Malfoy after all." He cursed, muttering, and released one of his hands to search through his pockets for his handkerchief.  
"There there. Not all Malfoy's are bad. Damien was nice to you, wasn't he?" She sniffled.  
'But I won't say I'll be the same, Granger.' he thought.  
"I'm still sorry." She turned her head away from him.  
"Come on. You're big bad Granger. Nothing gets to you." He cajoled her. He was beginning to worry. Not only did he have a Gryffindor sitting on his lap crying, it was Granger, and he was comforting her.  
"You know, in Slytherin a couple of months ago, we had a bet over the most unreachable girl at the school, and you know what? It was you." He rested his head on her back. Such soft skin...  
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" she asked miserably. He sighed and forced himself to continue, forced himself to form the words that came from his mouth.  
"Yes. It means that you've got more virtue than anyone else. You're more of a challenge than anyone else. You're wanted by more people than you know, Granger, simply because of that." She turned around to look at him, and his arms tightened around her. He leaned forward and kissed the trails her tears had left behind.  
"You could be so much prettier you know."  
"Oh thanks." she remarked sarcastically.  
They sat in silence.  
"Come on Granger, I like being hit." He raised his left eyebrow saucily.  
"This doesn't change anything Malfoy. I still hate you." She spoke thoughtfully.  
"I hate you too, Mudblood." But his arms didn't move, and it lacked it's usual conviction.  
"Thank-you." She whispered, as she disentangled herself from his arms. He gave her a crooked smile.  
  
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"So. Boxers, or briefs?"  
"Boxers. Definitely boxers." Draco shuddered.  
"Oh, I don't know." She gave a sly smile.  
"I think you might look cute in briefs." He gave her a disgusted look.  
"Not that you'd ever see anyway, Granger. NO BRIEFS." She sighed and returned the Calvin Kleins to the rack.  
"Hmmm...now then..."  
"Well, I do like these." She smirked, pulling out a pair of red and gold boxers. Draco didn't know how on earth she had managed to find those, of all boxers, from the rack, but she had.   
"I'll wear them if you wear..." He searched around.  
"This." He returned to the aisle with a smirk on his face, a green and silver thong hanging daintily from his forefinger and thumb.  
"Oh no Malfoy...no way." She shook her head determinedly.  
"Suit yourself." With a smirk he stuck it at random on the rack.  
"You can't do that!" She looked scandalized. He rolled his eyes. Of course. Being Perfect Granger, she'd have OCD as well.  
"Oh come on Granger, what did you think they employed these people for? Shoo, let me pick my own clothing, thank you." She stepped aside, then picked up the thong, intending to return it to it's original place. Looking down at it, it wasn't too bad. Not as tacky as she would have thought, at least. She bit her lip.  
"I'll wear it if you wear the gryffindor boxers." Her voice startled her. What a stupid game, now he'd think she was immature and insult her yet again, and she didn't know if she could handle bursting into tears for a third time...  
"Deal. Now shoo." Draco waved his hands at her absently, picking up a white cotton business shirt.   
"Tie? Or no tie..." He muttered to himself.  
  
_________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Draco I'm tired." Hermione collapsed on a seat. He raised his eyebrow at her.  
"Oh come on Granger, you have no stamina. No wonder you don't go shopping very often. Well, as long as you're with me I'm going to have to change that." He dropped his bags and ran a hand through his hair.   
"Now, let's look at you." He seemed not to notice the huge crowds passing behind him, the huge swirls of people populating the mall. All the girls checking him out. And a couple of guys. Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course, it was Draco Malfoy. He expected it.  
"Hmmm. You're hair needs something to be done with it. You need a little moisturiser. And cleanser, damn! Mmm...I don't suppose you have any make up do you?" Hermione was beginning to get a little scared.  
"No, and I don't want any, thank-you!" She snapped.  
"Nonsense." He roughly pulled her to her feet, dumping her shopping bags in her arms as he scooped his own up.  
"We're taking you to a hairdresser's right now."  
"I DON'T WANT TO!"  
"Heh heh, she's such a joke." He smiled sheepishly at passers by, grabbing Hermione's arm.  
"Let's go." She couldn't be bothered arguing.  
  
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"You know, you completely wreck the look when you growl like that." Draco walked along jauntily. At least he had repaid Granger a little now. The girl behind him snarled, then pouted sulkily.  
"I'm hungry."  
"Yeah me too. I'm going to have pasta. You shouldn't eat Granger...lose some weight."  
"You are such a jackass. I hate you!" She stamped her foot shakily.  
"Oh, darling, I love you!" and he walked away in the direction of the food hall.  
"Grrrr..." Walking unsteadily on her new high heels, Hermione gave chase as quickly as she was able.  
  
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"Hey, look who's home, it's...Whoa! 'Mione, what happened to you?" Josh was up again, and somehow three more of his friends had managed to find their way in.  
"Draco." She stomped up the stairs. Josh winked at Draco.  
"Ah, don't worry bout her. She'll be fine. Good job." Draco smirked.  
"This is Randy, Diego, Samson. This is 'Mione's 'friend', Draco." Draco didn't like the inflection that Josh had put on 'friend'. And there was that bloody Daniel smirking at him again.  
"We're not friends. She found me on the street."  
"Yeah, sure sure. That sounds even better." Daniel winked at him. "We're gonna hit the nightspot later on, you want to come with us?"  
"What's that?"   
Josh shook his head as the others laughed lightly.  
"Lead a sheltered life, don't you? Going dancing...you know...music, chicks, drinking...stuff." The others laughed again. None of it registered with Draco.  
"Ahh, maybe another time. I'm sure you'd like to spend time alone with 'Mione." Josh spoke as his friends sniggered, though not in an unfriendly way.  
"Probably not. Er...well I'll be in my room."  
"Catch ya." They returned to talking about where to go that night.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Hermione?"  
"Urk! Wait a sec!" He entered to see Hermione wrapped in a towel.  
"Sorry, did I come at a bad time?"  
"Noooo..."  
"Oh, good. I just need to name the cat." He held out the fluffball.  
"How about...Snowball?" It was the first thing she could think off. She was frantic to get him out of her room.  
"Yeah okay." he frowned, as if puzzled.  
"Didn't you have a cat, Cricksherks or something?"  
"Yeah, Crookshank's staying at school these holidays."  
They stood in silence.  
"Er...well I'll be in my room."  
"Yea...I'll be getting changed."  
Blushing, Draco left.  
'Well that was awkward.' he muttered.  
  
In her room Hermione dropped the towel.  
"Damn, this thong actually looks good."  
  
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(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Should I leave it here? Continue? Who's Yuri? Okay...)  
  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Snowball...come here kitty...look, Draco's got a treat for you..." Draco Malfoy sat on his bed, waving a fillet of salmon above the kitten's nose. She leapt for it playfully, batting at the meat.  
They were both startled by a thump from the window.   
"What the-" Draco scrambled off the bed, fillet dangling from one hand as Snowball attempted to attack his arm.  
"Errr..." A dazed, ancient-looking owl was trying to get off the ground, three stories down where it had fallen.  
"Here Snowball. I think I'd better go tell Granger. It must be a letter from her two boyfriends."  
  
He knocked on the door, and he could hear music playing faintly.  
"Kiss me...under the milky twilight..." So the Mudblood could sing. Not very well, but she wasn't too bad either.  
"Granger?" He pushed the door open.  
"Eek! Get out! Pervert!" Hermion grabbed the nearest thing, a book, and clasped it to her chest.  
"Ah, c'mon Mudblood, you ain't got nothing I haven't seen before. Just thought I'd like to tell you that there's a half-dead excuse for an owl lying on your lawns." Draco sighed.  
"It's lawn Draco, there's no plural. Now get out." She picked up another book to throw at him.  
"How disgusting. Shave under your armpits once in a while, Granger." With a smirk he ducked out as Hermione brought the book away and looked under her arms instinctively, confused.   
"But there's nothing..." Realisation dawned. "I'm gonna kill that bastard." She huffed.  
  
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"So what's your love letter say, Granger?" Draco poked his head in through her doorway.  
"What the- Can't you just leave me alone? Get out of my room, Malfoy!"  
"Oh, so you wanna do it in my room instead, hey?"  
"You sick perverted little twat! Just because I'm nice enough to take you in you think you're welcome to crack onto me, hey? After I gave you hospitality...and fed you, and looked after you...and I'm a Mudblood, aren't I? Gotta resort to screwing muggles coz there's no one else for you? Poor little Draco, gone two whole days without fuckin a whore! Why don't you go downtown and get a prostitute?"  
"Why should I when I can just pay you?" Draco smirked, covering his surprise at her outburst.  
"Horny little bastard!" She growled.  
"Please. I was born within wedlock, thank-you. Oh come on Granger. All I do is make a little remark and you blow it out of proportion. You must be frigid or something."  
"I hate you, Malfoy." He walked into her room and stood behind her, smirking evilly. Hermione tensed up. What was he doing?  
"Anyway, it's not like I did this..." He whispered into her ear as he trailed a finger down her bare shoulders, slipping the strap of her tank-top down her arms.  
"Or this..." He brushed his fingers lightly against the side of her breasts, down her ribs and across her stomach.   
"Or this." Hermione stood shocked as she felt his soft kisses on her neck, burning a trail as her pulse raced. He moaned into her skin, nipping at her earlobe and trailing a hand down her throat. This could not be happening. This was not real.  
"G...Get off me Malfoy." She swallowed hard.  
"Why Granger...I do believe that you like this." He wrapped his arms around her waist. She stiffened.  
"What's the matter? Wish it was Harry instead? Or maybe that poor fool Ron." He hissed, but continuing his soft kisses down her shoulders and arms.  
"Get out Malfoy." Her voice was still shaking.  
"Okay." he said simply, just walking away, leaving Hermione burning. With anger or desire. Maybe both.  
  
"He's just doing it to tease me. I swear."  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
+ I'm not sure about Murphy's Law. Is that it, or is Murphy's Law the law of gravity?  
+ Iorin is the school Hermione previously went to.   
+ Okay so I didn't write about Yuri. More about Yuri in future chapters. She's kinda important I guess. Or maybe...I dunno...LOL.   
+ And probably no lemon scenes...*shrug* It's up to the readers...review if you want to tell me.  
+ Oh! Teehee Draco's such a pervert! I know he's kinda sappy...but he'll get nasty again, just maybe re-directed at someone else...  
  
other notes...  
*gleeful laughter* Yes, Eloise has a sub-position in the plot. And possibly so does the slytherin-coloured thong *twitch* And of course...the ever so delicious Damien Malfoy...*drool* I'm sorry, if you read my other fic "The Mirror Front" you'd realise I have a thing for the name...I can't help it!  
  
OK....now THANK-YOU'S...this will take a while. *slaps forehead and groans*  
  
BROKEN-HERMIONE  
Draco? Of course he's kinky...would you have him any other way?  
  
ARIES11  
Well...you didn't write very much...but this is the next chapter. Did you wait?  
  
SLYTHERINSLUT  
Interesting nick. Of course Draco's sexy! Bloody hell...that's basically the only point of the story! To glorify his gorgeous self! Oh...and er...*twiddles fingers* You know, the whole draco-hermione subplot  
  
F_CK_U_F_CK_ME  
Ok...you also have a weird nick...Is english not your first language? LOL jks  
  
SANNDY  
Do you mind telling me WHY you lloooovvvveee this story? ;)  
  
NUT_MUFFIN  
Bwahahaha! As if the eternal muse of orangeness would let me do otherwise! *gleeful cackle* Oh Happosai lay your demons to rest! RANMA IS MINE! *ahem*...okay, so you didn't mention ranma in your review...I had to include the hunk somewhere!  
  
HELLY120  
Oh but it's such a cuuuuute little kitty! Secret tip...It's santa's little helper...mwahahaah...no I'm lying again... :( And DanieL? Oh but he's sexy too...I'm gonna dress him up in leather too! *wanders off to turn fic into a bishounen fashion show*  
  
EFA  
No! I don't want to! So there! *nyah* Na....here it is...with candy canes! BOYS AND GIRLS 9 SLEEPS TILL CHRISTMAS!  
  
BOOK-LOVER-210  
What was low? What did I do? But of course it was Draco's fault! Naturally! mwahahaha...*tries to steal away* Hey! Don't throw shoes at me! Ain't it amusing what muggle drugs do to the wizard system? Let's see Draco on...hmm...what can we put Draco on...*rummages through cupboard* (We could turn this into a multi-million platinum selling game...What Can You Put Draco On and What Stupid Things Will He Do?) *phew* That was a pain to type!   
  
*BLANKESS*  
WHY DON'T U AT LEAST LEAVE A NICKNAME! IT'S NOT THAT HARD! Like oogabooga if it'll help! Or chickenhead...or ERMIN! Mwahahahah I love the ermin...*ahem* er..  
Of course Draco's evil...he's...*searches for the word* Draco! A slytherin! He just loses most of the appeal if he becomes all mushy and nice...but there's some waff in here and from now on for ya. Stupid bunny made me do it...  
  
THE SLAYER  
LOL it was heaps...you are my inspiration and joy to continue chapters...  
  
KELY  
LOL I'd have something interesting to say if I knew what comebacks you were talking about... *should probably read my own fics more often...*sweatdrops**  
  
EVA  
I did! *Der*  
  
COOL-KITTIE  
I did! *der* Sorry...but you two wrote pretty similar things...Why don't I say something about the wonderful pink rabbit who lives at the bottom of my garden? His name is Bumfluff and he brings me pots of leprechaun gold. Stupid vermin...*twitch*  
  
KELLY  
I'm so dumb I almost accidentally posted this with your name written as Jelly...*der* It's muggle shopping...I think wizard shopping is overrated after um....five or more years, don't you? I mean, so far the only upgrades have been in quidditch brooms and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes or whatever their prac jokes are called...not that I don't love them of course!  
And imagine poor widdle Draco in a big bad nasty dirty Muggle shopping mall...MWAHAHAHAH!  
  
DREAMER  
Cool nick, this is one I often use. LOL But what if I don't like cherries? Nah, I'm jking...here ya go, hope it was ok...*hint hint* feedback would be good...  
  
DREAMER  
Hey! Dammit I only just realised that this was the same person as above....*shows how slow I am) LOL clever girl, you're smarter than I am. But er...this is as far as I've got so far so you're just gonna have to make do with only one chapter. It's bloody long though!  
  
KELLY  
I think I got two reviews...or more....and four from two different people with two from each...*shrug* I quit math, I dunno (which explains a lot of calculations and errors within the story...LOL don't tease me)  
  
CHAOTIC SLYTHERIN  
I HATE KYLIE MINOGUE! There...now I've said that which has no relevance to you whatsoever...THANKS FOR THE REVIEW! Er...I don't actually believe in Harry too much...but...I'll try for the sake of more Draco in leather clothing. LOL did your sister find it entertaining? I know sometimes I read weird fics and I laugh so hard I can't breathe and my parents think I'm dumb for laughing at a computer. I don't think they understand it's what's on the computer...*der* I was wondering whether that part was kinda lame...but you cheered me up a lot! *hugz* thanks! And maybe not Daniel fighting him...maybe Mr Granger instead...*shrug* I'll see if i can't fit in a sweaty, bruised, angry, passionate Draco somewhere...*swoon* Think Brad Pitt from Fight Club...............................*falls off chair*  
  
PIKACHUFAN4288  
Ha ha I love Pikachu. I love James more...*drool* Stupid Togepi...Togepi should get cooked! I think the espeon (and vespeon?) is the cutest evoloutioN! Er...sorry if you don't know what I'm talking about... ANYWAY  
HI!!!! And thanks for the review!  
  
KAPPARAN MAJIC  
Of course it's a strange story. I'M THE AUTHOR Have you not read anything I've written? *rolls eyes* Some poor people. I hope you continue to like the way it's going because if not...well...I suck.   
Nevermind.  
Thanks for reviewing!  
  
and last but not least...the great great  
SILVERDRAGON  
Ahhh! It's one of the originals! Have I done a chapter to you yet? I really should probably go and read what I've written....*twitch* Well here's the next chapter....I hope it's okay!   
  
  
well that's it boys and girls....  
  
maybe if you're good santa and his merry gay reindeer will bring you another chapter before christmas...which is probably not likely seeing as I have a part-time job now...I know...shock horror Sila has been employed despite all scruffiness and fleas...  
  
I get to wear a santa hat! Now if that isn't cool...neither is fricken Action Man. And he is NOT cool...  
  
until next time   
~Sila XOXO 


	6. In just Two days, Tomorrow will be Yeste...

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
A/N:  
This chap has very kinda waff and dark undertones to it...possibly. I dunno...all I can hear is American Pie playing in the background *stupid exchange students*... o.0 not productive at all! :D  
  
Chapter 5: In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday  
  
"Dear Herm,  
How are you? I'm well. I'm currently sitting in a cupboard, away from Fred and George. I swear, those two get worse every day. They're currently trying to gather the bodies of the mice they tested their new Exploding Sherbet on...I really hope they don't decide to market that product. Disgusting, innit? Guess what? Harry's staying with Padfoot these holidays, now that the Dursley's have kicked him out. And guess what? They're coming to somewhere around your area! Turns out Padfoot has a son or something there, the mother just passed away and has sent word to Padfoot that she wants him to take custody. What have you been doing? I suppose you're seeing your friends from muggle school and all. I hope you haven't been studying! Well, take care, write back.  
~Ron."  
  
"Well. What's been happening with me? I got stuck with Malfoy and his domestics for the holidays, that's what." Hermione sighed, as she sat down and began scripting a reply.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Draco Malfoy sat, staring pensively out of the window as the sun sank into it's afternoon squallor. The sky was darkening slowly, it was almost sunset. How wonderfully cliche.   
"I wonder if..."   
"Accio Nimbus!" Nothing happened.  
"Oh well." Suddenly his Seekers reflexes kicked in, and he ducked, just in time for a large black shape to thud into the far wall.   
"Oh! Good." A pleased smile formed on his features as he scrambled up from the floor and crossed the room, picking his broomstick up.  
"Oh, how I've missed you so." He sighed lovingly, stroking the wood. The ministry might track him down for use of under-age magic...but he could always get out of it. That fat-pudge Fudge (he snickered) was always open to bribery. He clambered onto the windowsill and jumped out, laughing gleefully as the broom levelled out halfway through his descent and kicked upwards.  
  
_________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hermione looked out to the tapping on her window. She did a double-take at the face floating in mid-air, shocked.  
"What the...Malfoy?"  
"Come on, let's go for a ride."  
"Er...I don't exactly like heights." She swallowed.  
"You won't fall." She shook her head.  
"Get on the damn thing!"  
"Brooms don't like me!"  
"This broom doesn't like anyone, but it'll do what I tell it to. Just get on." Sighing, Hermione reluctantly climbed onto the broom.  
She smiled softly as the wind rushed through her hair as they rose above the city. The sunset had just begun, turning the whole world a beautiful rose pink and sky blue.  
"So why the sudden change in attitude, Malfoy?"   
"Who said I changed my attitude? I just was happy to have my broom back." He spoke quietly. Not wanting to disrupt this sudden (and welcome) change, Hermione kept silent.  
"Tell me about Yuri." He said.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hermione swallowed her tears. Just as soon as they came, they were gone, and she felt cold, emotionless. The only warmth was Draco's arm around her waist. Since they were six years old, and Mila seven, Hermione, Eloise, Mila and Yuri had been the best of friends. Growing up in a small neighbourhood in Brooksbridge together, they had met through the local pre-school and been friends ever since. Mila's family had immigrated from Russia which was why she had been kept down a year. Yuri shouldn't have been able to join the school until the year after, but she was so intelligent the school agreed that she was a special case.  
  
Mila was the mother of the group, the more responsible, more demure and quiet. She had a love of poetry, romance stories and dreamed someday that a handsome russian prince would come to take her away, back home. As they slowly grew older, Mila began to drift away, to mingle with people her own age. She always came back, was always part of the impenetrable circle that was their friendship, but she made the others realise there were other people just as important to her too.  
  
Eloise had been so plain before Hemione left. Small and pale and withdrawn, none of the boys even noticed her. Hermione often remembered having to intervene to save Eloise from her tormentors. Eloise had a love of books that would rival even Hermione's. They could talk for hours about a book and debate over miniscule points that no ordinary junior fifth-year could contemplate.  
  
Yuri. Beautiful, grand Yuri. Yuri had come to England because of her father's ambassadorial work. Such pretty almond shaped eyes and long black hair and fancy foreign dresses. When her father's work was over, her brother decided to stay in England, and Yuri was allowed to stay with him. Hermione remembered Yuri's brother Masako vividly, he was handsome, bad and oh-so frightening.   
He had gone from brilliant school-boy to drug-induced stupor. He started running with dangerous street gangs and doing many illegal things. But he loved Yuri. He said it was all for her.   
Hermione guessed that Yuri had gone the same way as Masako. Tried to repay her brother's debt and failed. Hermione knew all about London's underground world and how it worked. She'd been to Yuri's home enough times, witnessed enough of Masako's actions. Yuri adored her big brother, her 'ani' or 'onechan' as she called him. She loved being dropped off at school in one of his or his friend's fast, loud cars. Slowly, Masako began to mould her into his own image.   
  
Hermione and Yuri had always had a close connection, even more so than with the others. Perhaps Eloise harboured a deep resentment of that, even to this day. But Hermione couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. That Yuri was gone.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Draco didn't say anything, just hovered the broom above London. You could see everything, every beautiful shining light in every colour. The city was painted in so many shades of shadow.   
He looked down as movement attracted his eye. Hermione was carefully turning on the broom, so to face him. She stared, and everything was still. Draco watched her warily. Why was he finding it so hard to breathe? Why had everything gone quiet? Why was his heart jumping so hard?  
And just as suddenly she leant forward, and he felt soft lips touch his throat, and the pulse point behind his ear.  
He sat stone still.  
Her lips brushed lightly against his, just as the moon came out from behind a cloud.   
His pulse was racing as she took his wrists and held them as she ran her tongue along his lower lip. Almost instinctively he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. But she pulled away. Now in the moonlight he could see the tears glistening on her cheeks.  
"Don't cry." His voice was hoarse.  
"Comfort me, Draco. I need you." She gazed at him beseechingly as she placed his hands over her heart. He watched her.  
"I can't." He dropped her hands, but took her chin.  
"I can't dirty my blood." His eyes searched hers as he began to kiss her lightly, on her forehead, her crown, her cheeks, her lips. Everywhere his lips touched felt like a butterfly.  
  
She let the tears fall.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Hermione cried on the way home until it eventually died down to the occasional sniffle.  
Draco hovered the broom outside her window, helping her through.  
A surprise awaited them, Jacob, stroking Snowball on the bed. He looked up.  
"Where were you?" he asked. His little eyes were red, they had bags under them from staying up late. Hermione bit her lip.  
"Come on Jakie, let's put you to bed." He stood up, and Hermione realised her little brother wasn't so little anymore. He echoed her thoughts.  
"I'm not a little kid 'Mione. Where were you?" He threw a glance at Draco, who climbed in the window.  
"We were on my broom, Jacob. Calm down. Do you want a ride?" For the first time since he'd been there, Draco saw Jacob's eyes light up.  
"Could I really?!"  
"Sure. But you can't tell anyone about this. Not ONE. Promise?" Jacob nodded.  
"I swear."  
"Coz people would think you were a little weird."  
"Draco, you can trust him. Jakie's good at keeping secrets." Hermione shared a look with her brother that Draco didn't understand.   
"Let's go then Jacob."  
  
When they were out of her window and safely out of sight, Hermione sat down at her desk. Try as she might to complete the letter, all she could do was stare blankly at the wall.  
Finally, with a sigh of frustration she glanced at the clock on her bedside. The green LCD display read 11:59. She watched as the number slowly clicked.   
  
Midnight. The witching hour.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
[PART 2]  
  
Chapter 5B: INTROSPECTIVE  
  
"I took the snakes tearing through my veins and finally set them free..."  
-Unknown source...(someone's poem copyright to them)  
  
Hermione's foot left an imprint as she stepped out onto the lawn in the backyard. Smooth, green, perfectly manicured. The sky above radiated blacklight, the stars shining brilliantly here, away from all the city and pollution. The moon watched her silently.   
Hermione sat down carefully, wary of ants and spiders. Eerily, no breeze blew. Everything was dead still. She brought her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them as she let her chin fall onto them. No sign of Draco and Jacob.   
'Yuri, where are you?' She wondered silently as she stared at the impassive night sky. Nothing answered her.  
She felt so wretched as the tears began to fall, great big shining drops of salt trickling down her cheeks. She would give anything to see Yuri again. Anything.  
So they weren't close anymore. You never truly realise what you've got until it's gone.   
Hermione always respected Yuri. She came from such a powerful family, was so pretty. And she never showed any trace of caring. Not one.  
Hermione smiled bitterly as she remembered that time when she and Yuri had just met. Yuri had just come over from Japan that time, and was obsessed with Hermione. When her mother bought her 60 pound jeans, she ripped them so they'd look like Hermione's favourite old and worn ones. That adorable face with the big brown eyes...the freckles and messed pigtails.   
Hermione turned to face the northern sky.  
  
"Oh Yuri. What am I going to do without you? I was even thinking about you, and Mila and Eloise on the way home. I was thinking maybe we'd all get together these holidays. But I was always too busy, wasn't I? I'm so sorry Yuri." Hermione began to sob.  
"If only you were here now. I mean, what am I going to do with Draco? You'd love him, Yuri. He's so mischievious and evil...just like you. But he's such an asshole sometimes...if only you were here, you'd know how to handle him. He just...turned up on my doorstep one day. Yuri? Wait for me, I'll meet you halfway to heaven." The wind rustled the treetops.  
  
Harry and Ron. Suddenly Hogwarts seemed so far away. Suddenly she felt a need to see a physical representation of the pain she was feeling.  
Hand shaking, she took a small silver penknife from her pocket. With a slim, elegant blade she flicked open.  
  
"This is for you Yuri. You meant so much to me. I love you."  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Jacob sat up stiffly, causing the broom to veer.  
"Whoa, what's up?" Draco felt a feeling of...somethingness...a heavy depression...descend upon them.  
"Hermione. We gotta get home. Come on Draco, let's go!" He punched Draco, his face in pain.  
"I'm already there." He kicked the Nimbus to full speed. Within seconds they were above the block the Granger's lived on. Another two seconds and they'd be right above the house.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
She never thought it'd hurt this much. But such a pleasant pain. The feeling of release coming from seeing the blood flow.  
"Whoops. I guess I cut a little too deep. Goodbye Mum, Goodbye Dad. I love you both. Jacob and Josh, take care of Draco. I love you all. I'm sorry, Ron, Harry. And Crookshanks." Her voice sounded so melodious. Like a swan song. Don't swan's sing before they die? A small and twisted smile formed on her lips. She was getting her pyjama's wet. And her vision was going blurry.  
Oh look, a shooting star. And it was coming for her. It was Yuri, come to take her to Heaven. A lovely white shooting star.  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Shit! What the Fuck has she done to herself? Call emergency, now!" Jacob rushed inside, stonefaced.  
"Come on Granger, what the fuck did you do this for? Come on, come on....clot you stupid thing!" Draco really wished he hadn't left his wand up on the first floor, in his bedroom.  
"Come on Granger...Hermione, wake up! Wake up, damn you!" He shook her roughly, but her eyes didn't open. He sank to his knees and held her tightly against his body.  
"Oh God...No...no..."He moaned. Praying to an entity he didn't even believe in.   
He held her tightly, refusing to let anything penetrate his mind. Not the sirens, the neighbours or Mrs Granger's grievious wails.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hermione's eyes fluttered open. It was so dark! Was she in her coffin?  
"Josh! Josh! Her heart beat just started again! It's increasing!" She heard footsteps and felt pressure on her, all over her.  
"'Mione! Mione! Wake up!"  
"Please Herm, you've got to wake up!"  
Harry? What was he doing here?  
She tried to respond, to open her mouth or her eyes.  
She could see. But it was all black.  
"Why isn't she responding?" Oh...her poor mother.  
"Malfoy you fucking idiot! Why didn't you use your wand?"  
"It was on the first fucking floor, Potter! And don't call me an idiot! You weren't in the situation so just shut the bloody hell up!"  
"I'll call you what I like! At least I would have had the sense to use 'Accio!'"  
  
A chill descended upon the room as Draco's voice dropped, just low enough to be heard by Harry.  
"That's bullshit Potter. You would have panicked just like me. Or is wonderpants Potter prepared for any situation? So prepared for anything? How would you know, unless you've envisioned this situation before? That's just it, isn't it you fag. You've always dreamt about being the gallant knight on the horse for the dear mudblood trapped in a tower. How it must twist the knife in your heart that I, the nemesis, got there first."  
  
There was ice in his eyes.  
So cold...it was becoming so cold...  
  
Harry spluttered in a poor attempt at denial.  
"Please boys, settle down. We must all be here for Hermione." Angelina's eyes were puffy and red from crying.  
Harry watched in surprise as Draco's face softened and he took the older woman's hand and led her to a chair.  
He watched the back of the pale-blonde's head.  
'Just what exactly happened?'  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
They fed Harry some story about the Malfoy and Granger familys being old friends, old blood and aristocracy and all that.  
But Harry didn't believe a word of it, not for one moment. Not after having met Lucius Malfoy in second year.  
No, there were other forces at play here.  
And he would find out what was going on if it would kill him.  
  
__________________________________{@}_____________________________________  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES  
  
Okay...not too sure about this chapter. Give me suggestions and I'll repost it, I think. Too dark? Too sudden? Not enough detail? Tell me when and where and I'll be there!  
Personally...I think this chapter sucks. S-U-C-K-S.... ;)  
  
THANK-YOU'S  
  
g_UeSs_WhO?  
Thanks! Well here's the next chapter...what do you think?  
  
Kristina Chang  
LOL here's more! MORE MORE MORE! very long more by the way...  
  
Shadow Angel  
Wow...I feel so...special....*sigh* I know, I'm a peanut butter and popcorn sandwhich, you don't need to tell me  
  
Aubs2006  
Here's a little bit about Yuri...and the evil girls...just a little spoon of sherbet of what's to come! (In other words...not the entire thing)  
  
Azure  
Ahh! Thank you for that useful information!  
I do try and space my paragraphs...I just suck at grammar.  
LOL interesting idea...I might...  
  
tickle the dragon  
Aww what a cute nick! Oh...yes...._that_ Draco... nah, I probably won't make it lemon...it'll be more adventure! da da da daaa!  
  
hyper_shark!  
Oh, it is you great one!!!  
LOL...but for me it wouldn't be teasing so much as pure sweet torture....*meow*  
  
TomsBeachChickBum?  
Interesting nick...story behind that? Well...here's another chapter anyway.  
  
Kelly  
LOL :) Well you have to tell me what else to do to make it better and better! :D  
  
Pikachufan4288  
Are you a virus? How did you submit three times? Anyway...LMAO you dork...what did you hit your head on? *duh* Probably your hand...*twitch* I'm not a blonde, I swear!!!! grrr  
  
Kelly  
Again! LMAo you interesting person you!  
Of course I have other fics....Mwahahaa....just conquered that pesky bit of tomato...*er* ahem....they're all under my profile...click like...my name *sila-chan* when you read my fic (it's at the top) and it'll take you there. Just scroll down.   
Otherwise...read FiNaL DiSTaNCe....that's supposed to be my main fic but no one wants to read it...*bawls* actually...nobody wants to read hardly any of my fics...*how sad* which is why the top two I've written is this one and a Ranma 1/2 one...*sigh*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**INSERT SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION**  
If there is a God of Fanfiction out there PLEASE make people read FiNaL DiSTaNCe! I know it's not that good...but it's my baby and I can't continue it if nobody wants to read it!!! *sniffle* PLease? For Sila? *puppy eyes* 


	7. Visions and Interrupted Kisses

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
Chapter 6: Visions and Interrupted Kisses  
  
____________________________________  
  
They say that before you die you see your life flash before your eyes. Or at least a big white light at the end of a tunnel. Beware that light. It might be an oncoming train.  
  
  
Hermione gave up. She just couldn't break through that barrier separating consciousness from body. Instead, her spirit sat sulking in between layers of skin.  
"'Mione?" What the? Where was that voice coming from?  
"Yuri? Where are you?" Through the blankness of grey, Hermione thought she could see a discernable shadow. The foggy figure drifted a little closer to Hermione.  
"'Mione...it's me. Love ya much. I can't stay long. I have to go. Please watch out for Masako. Tell him Tetsuo and Kimura have passed on. Hermione, you must get Masako out of jail...Please!" The voice sounded rushed.  
"Yuri! Don't leave me! I'll try Yuri...Yuri, I love you! Don't go..." Hermione was sobbing.  
"'Mione, it's not your time yet. Don't follow me. Be smart, like you always were. And you must..."  
"What do I have to do? Yuri? Yuri?"  
"...beware the Death Eater..." The voice faded as the shrouded figure disintegrated in the swirling mist.  
  
Hermione was sent back to her body with a jolt.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
She could open her eyes now. She could see. Yuri went to the back of her mind instantly.  
"'Mione?"  
"Herm?"  
"Hey," She spoke weakly, grinning. It was overwhelming being able to see once again, to smell, feel, hear.  
"Oh my god!"  
"Oh darling I was so worried! Promise me you'll never do that ever again!" Her mother crushed her. She could feel Josh holding her hand tightly.  
"Ow! Let go Josh! You're hurting me..."  
"'Mione!" Jacob tackled her.  
Finally they released her, to the vision of her two sulky angels.  
"Oh Harry...Draco..." She cried painfully, bitter and happy.  
"Hermi, Ron was crying when I told him. He'll be so glad to know you're okay."  
"Ron cried?"  
Harry nodded.  
"He was so upset he couldn't come. Poor guy." Harry fell silent as Hermione's eyes moved from him to Draco.  
"Malfoy."  
"Her- Granger, you're alright." She laughed shortly.  
"Of course I am. I'm the indestructible Mudblood, part of the Dream Team." Harry glanced worriedly at the two.  
They stared for a minute, before Hermione broke into a tired smile.  
"Come here, you pureblood idiot."  
Awkwardly, Draco made his way to the side of the bed, the Granger's smiling and parting to make room for him.  
"Thank you, for everything." Hermione spoke, looking at him deeply.  
"It was nothing." Draco brushed it aside. Hermione reached for his hand and squeezed it.  
"I said thank you."  
Draco said nothing, but squeezed her hand again.  
Harry wondered once more. What exactly had happened since school break?  
  
A happy family once more (plus two sulking, brooding roosters), the Grangers returned to their home, minds at rest.  
  
All except two. Harry couldn't stop wondering what the hell and why the hell Draco Malfoy was staying with his Herm. And Hermione couldn't stop thinking about Yuri's last words. How on all of earth's planes did Yuri know about Death Eaters?  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
The next couple of days were hell. Harry stayed over in Draco's room. *delicious yaoi visions* Hermione was kept constantly awake at night by muffled thumping and shouting from Draco's room.  
Example...  
  
"You idiot! Get out of my room!"  
"I didn't mean to knock coffee all over your Armani shirt Malfoy, sheesh!"  
"Grrr! And stop kicking me!" Draco shoved Harry.  
"It's not my fault! You move!"  
"Piss off! The bed's too small!"  
"It's a bloody king-size bed, Malfoy! What do you want? Just stay on your side!"  
"Sleep on the floor then!"  
"Why should I?"  
  
After much consternation and argument Draco would kick Harry out to check on Hermione. The whole family seemed to check on Hermione at odd times during the night for some reason. It was trapping her in.   
She knew they meant well...it's just...it annoyed her so.  
And especially as they all thought they were the only ones doing it.  
  
At ten, just as she was falling asleep Harry would check on her.  
At eleven, it was Jacob.  
At eleven thirty it was Mum and Dad.  
At twelve it was Harry again.  
At one it was Draco.  
At two, after a night out, it was Josh. She just wanted them to go away so she could sleep and think in quiet. It wasn't like she was suicidal or anything. She'd just cut a little too deep. In honour of Yuri.   
Blood sisters, until the very end. When one goes, the only way to release the pain is to just...  
let  
the   
blood  
flow away...  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
A shadow fell over the chessboard that Draco had stashed in his room.  
"Come with me to the park." Hermione asked, voice soft, eyes distant as she toyed with her hair.  
Draco and Harry looked up from where they were seated.  
"Both of you." She turned on her heel and walked off.  
  
It was a nice, overcast day. Warm, and breezy.  
Hermione sat on the swings, and patted the spare seat next to her. Loping over, Harry grabbed it first. Raising an eyebrow, Draco leant against the support shaft on the frame of the swings.  
"Enjoying your stay here, Harry?"  
"Yeah, it's much better living with Sirius."  
Draco spluttered and lost his composure.  
"You live with Sirius Black?"  
Hermione and Harry gave each other an uneasy glance. They had forgotten that Malfoy didn't know about Sirius. Draco fumed as they gave each other a look. They were beginning to gang up on him, he felt like he might as well leave or go home.  
"Er....no, Sirius Green actually. What a coincidence...heh..." Harry always was a terrible liar. Draco narrowed his eyes.  
Hermione began to sing some muggle song.  
  
"Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got//I'm still I'm still Jenny from the block//Used to have a little now I have a lot//No matter where I go I know where I came from..."  
  
"Your voice sucks, mudblood." Draco smirked, then nonchalantly took his hands from his pockets and began doing pull-ups on the crossbar. At least he forgot about Sirius.  
"If you hate her so much Malfoy, why are you at her house?" Harry asked finally.  
Draco's eyes narrowed.  
"Got nothing better to do for the summer. It's nice doing something productive."  
'Yeah. But I'd hate to see what Malfoy's 'productivity' culminates in...' Hermione thought.  
"Break it up you two." she sighed absently. Malfoy raised an eyebrow.  
"I mean it. Who's that coming over the hill?" Hermione asked.  
Draco squinted, shading his eyes. He groaned. Harry looked at him in surprise.  
"Who is it?"  
"Its that friend of yours. Eloise and her band of kooky schoolgirls." He resumed doing his pullups.   
"One of them's not too bad, actually. There's a bulldyke that might be around your level, Potter." he taunted.  
The figures paused, having obviously seen the three. They seemed to be holding a private conversation.  
"Stay here you two. Don't wander off."  
"Don't give me orders you mudblood. If I want to go to that slut's house I will." Draco remarked somewhat cattily, but Harry noticed the way he sidled closer to Hermione and began pushing her on the swings. Shrugging, Harry began to kick himself back and forth, swinging higher and higher.  
The little posse was closer now.  
"Hey Granger, heard about your little suicide attempt. Shame it failed, right?" Eloise stood right at the foot of the swings, twirling a lock of hair around her forefinger. Close enough to be heard, but not close enough to get hit by the arc of the swing. Shame.  
Hermione slowed down, looking at Eloise as if she could see something everyone couldn't, as Draco's hands came to rest on her shoulders.  
"Yeah, I was kinda hoping to be rid of you once and for all."  
Hermione shrugged.  
"Guess you can't have everything."  
Eloise snorted.   
"Fat chance, you weirdo bitch. Next you'll be telling me about seeing Yuri on your way out." The other girls snickered as she continued.  
"That's right, I know all about your weird little exploits Granger, don't think I don't. Your little brother just happens to be friends with my little brother. You didn't forget that, did you?"  
Hermione felt Draco's fingers digging painfully into her shoulders.  
"Jacob has an active imagination. You of all people should remember that, Eloise."  
"Whatever. Well well, look, another addition to the snob's harem. Been getting higher in society ever since you lost your bushy hair and buckteeth, hey 'Mione? Or did you just decide to...let loose. You know...spread your legs a little." Eloise slunk over to where Harry sat, arms folded on the swing.  
"You want me to push you, honey?" She shoved him suddenly, causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards. He grabbed the support chains just in time to prevent an embarassing fall. Not that the situation wasn't bad already, but there was no point in making it worse. She turned back to Hermione.  
"Oh! And I see you've had a make-over. Not that any amount of make-up in the world could help you." Draco's hands were almost crushing Hermione's shoulders by now. Abruptly, he let go.  
"At least she's not some pathetic playground bully. Got no brains, commoner? At least I would have thought of something a little more creative than pushing Potter off the swings."  
"Oh! At last! The beautiful man speaks! I was beginning to think you were deaf, blind and dumb."  
"Why ever would you think that, muggle?"  
"What the fuck is a muggle? What a stupid word, sounds like something from some stupid kid's book or something. Well I mean, you've gotta be blind to not want this." Eloise threw him a seductive look from under her lashes as she swung on the pole.  
"And deaf to not know who she is." One of the other girls piped up.  
"Just who are you, Eloise?" Hermione taunted, stepping off the swings.   
"Looking for a confrontation Granger? Not thinking you'd win, surely? Oh! You did...that's so...cute..." She smiled cattily.  
"Potter, is this as nauseating for you as it is for me?" Draco muttered out the corner of his mouth.  
"It's worse. I hope Ginny never ends up like this." Harry remarked glumly.  
"Do you want to go home? Coz I do." They both turned swiftly at the sound of a palm hitting flesh. Hermione stood still, a red-mark spreading across her cheek.  
"Aw shit. I hate chick fights." Draco muttered under his breath.  
"Go for it, Herm!" Harry cheered. Draco watched interestedly. Hermione didn't fight the girl with the same fire and clumsiness that she had when they play-fought. No, with this she was more...cold, calculating. He winced as Hermione's punch connected with a sickening crack. Hermione scowled and shook her hand, as if to rid it of pain.  
"Come on boys, let's go home." She drew her leg back and booted Eloise in the ribs.  
"Leave me alone. I don't know what your problem is, but you'll get hurt if you play with fire." She spat as she walked off with Harry and Draco.  
"Hate to sound cliche, coz that is like, so last season, but you'll get yours, Granger. Just like Yuri." Eloise remarked, her eyes open and distant, a small smile on her lips as she lay on her back and just stared at the open expanse of sky.  
Both Harry and Draco turned, grabbing one of Hermione's arms each as she turned to leap at Eloise.  
"C'mon Herm, let's go. She's crazy."  
"For once I agree with Potter." Inside, Draco shuddered. That vacant smile on Eloise's face brought back a memory he'd sooner forget. Keeping a cool, ice-like exterior, Draco strode off towards the Granger's estate.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Hey sweetie, you're home! Dinner's just about ready, Daddy and I have to go out for a last moment dinner affair and all that ra-ra. We'll be home later, you should be fine with Draco and Harry, Jacob's gone to stay at Caleb's house and Josh and Daniel are home." Mrs Granger was busy checking her reflection last-minute in the hallway mirror.  
"Okay." Angelina caught Hermione's eye in the mirror.  
"Are you okay, 'Mione? You seem awfully quiet."  
"No, I'm fine. Thanks mum."  
"Okay. Well, I'll have my phone with me if you need anything at all, ok?" Hermione nodded.   
"Good girl. Well we're running late, oh my look at your father, isn't he handsome?" Mr Granger descended the stairs slowly, fastening his tie as he went.  
"Okay, well we've got to go, take care you three. You should be just fine. Bye sweetie!" Angelina kissed Hermione's cheek, leaving a smudge of red lipstick and ruffled Harry's hair on her way out the door.  
"Bye Draco!" She waved, as Draco held up his hand in a lazy wave.  
They watched the car disappear into the distance.  
"Okay...now what's for dinner? I'm starving!" Josh tumbled down the stairs.  
"Ahh! Stuff it, let's have pizza! Katrina's not here anyway." The puppy, name as yet unknown to Harry and Draco, followed quickly, by a figure sliding down the banister.  
"Daniel!?" Harry asked, in surprise as the figure fell off the banister.  
"Harry?" Daniel was equally surprised. Draco narrowed his eyes. Ah, it all came together now. Strong family resemblance.  
"You two know each other? Ah, stuff it, I'm too hungry to care. So, what shall it be tonight, ladies and gents...BlackJack or Russian Roulette? Ah, hello, I'd like to order an extra large Hawaiian with double pepperoni please..." Daniel was already on the phone.  
Hermione just rolled her eyes.  
"C'mon, let's go upstairs until dinner's ready."  
"If you don't mind, Herm? I just wanna talk to Daniel for a bit." Hermione nodded, and motioned Draco to follow her up the stairs.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Mudblood."  
"I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore."  
"Consider it...a nickname. Or in an affectionate tone. Oh c'mon, I haven't called you anything else for bloody six years, I can't drop it that easily!"  
"You could at least try." Hermione sighed.  
"I'm too tired to argue, Malfoy. I'm going to my room."  
"Wait." Draco put his hand out to stop her. He hesitated.  
"I need to talk to you."  
Hermione stopped in front of her door. Silently, she opened it, and let him in.  
  
He walked in. It really was a very nice room. Those muggle 'fairy lights' which actually didn't resemble anything of the sort decorated it tastefully. The bed was a little smaller than his own, and a large window with a large balcony was outside. She had a number of books actually, about as numerable as Pansy's teddy bear collection.  
Now what to do? His head was fighting his heart, his mind was spinning over the last week. All the fear, all the panic and suppressed paranoia he had before coming here was pushed ever further back into the deep and dark recesses of his mind.  
  
"Malfoy?" She enquired, looking at him with a curious and innocent expression.  
"I'm sorry. It's just too much." He muttered, sinking onto the bed as he ran a hand through his hair. She closed the door, and came to sit on the floor before him.  
"What's too much?"  
"This! EVERYTHING!" he exploded.  
"First you. First you're nice, then you're a bitch. Then you're smart, and then you're weak. And then Potter! Bloody Potter turns up in the middle of nowhere because you tried to commit suicide! Because your friend Yuri died! Which is a tidbit of information your close friends should know and not something I should know! But you weren't actually suicidal, you just like to bloodlet every now and again! Which, again, isn't my business! But I know! I know, and I actually care, and that is the most confusing part right now. There are so many fucking questions, Granger, and I have no idea where to start." He took a breath. Hermione didn't say anything, just watched him solemnly.  
"And your family! Nothing like what I expected! They made me weak! I turn up in a bloody mess outside your house, I figure you take me to a hospital, I recover, I go back home, and we speak no more. But your bloody mother...she's just so nice and caring and...and...do-gooding," he spat. "...She's just like you. And now I can't leave and I won't leave because it feels like home. Too much like home. Or what it should be, however that is." He mumbled. His face twisted in anguish, he was just so frustrated. He'd have cried if he could remember how.   
"Oh, Malfoy. Don't you think how this is for me? I'm trying to keep you safe from Harry and his questions. It was _my_ best friend that died, and I don't know how. She wants me to get her brother out of jail. And you turn up on my doorstep with some weird story of your father being a lycanthrope hybrid. And now I have to keep you and Harry from tearing each other apart, find out and sort out Eloise and her little gang and deal with...this thing...that's changing the way I look at you." Hermione's voice was more controlled, less of a torrent of rage, her thoughts more orderly, yet the anguish on her face was the same.  
"Don't cut yourself, Granger. It's too cliche. It's overrated." Draco leant forward, and took her chin in his hand.  
"I have to. And life is a cliche, is it not?" Hermione watched him. His face slowly moved closer to hers, her lips murmuring something.  
"These tears of blood will set me free. Under starry night I think of thee. The moon will wash and cleanse my blood. If I die I die for love." Her lashes lowered, she felt his cool breath on her lips.  
"I cut to release the pain, let the anger free. With each scar is a memory I keep. The wounds and then scars will eventually heal. And away into the night the pain do I seal." His voice was hoarse as he felt her lips brushing his with each word he said.  
"Kiss me."  
And so she did.  
  
  
And, predictably, the door burst open.  
"Hey, Herm...oh. Malfoy you bastard, get off of her!" Harry stood at the door, the horror on his face so clearly etched that it was comical.  
"This meant nothing to me, of course. Just to define your place in society, mudblood, am I making myself clear?" Draco stood up, brushing himself off.  
"Does anything mean anything to you? Does your life itself, have no meaning, Malfoy?" Her voice caught him unawares.  
He paused, then continued out. They heard his door slam.  
"Hermione..."  
"Don't start, Harry. Isn't Daniel downstairs?" Harry almost said something, but caught himself in time. Hermione turned to look out the window, and a hooded look passed over Harry's eyes.   
"Yeah. Yeah, he is. I'm going home tonight Herm. I'll see you round, I guess. Call me if you need something." He turned and walked out the door without looking back.  
"Harry-" but he was already gone.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
There was no warning as the door flew open and rebounded with a resounding bang.  
"I'm on my way out."  
"Fine." Harry strode in and began to gather his stuff.  
"Potter..." Draco spoke hesitantly.  
"What, Malfoy?"  
"Come here for a sec." He sat up on the bed, swinging his legs so they rested on the floor.  
As Harry came nearer, Draco reached out with one arm and grabbed his shirtfront tightly.  
"What are you doing, Malfoy? Get offa me!" Draco silenced his protests effectively by pressing his mouth against Harry's.  
Draco was a good kisser. Domineering, soft, gentle and skillful.  
Harry moaned, causing Draco to break away.  
"Good god Potter, are you a faggot or something?" Harry gasped in outrage as Draco drew the back of his hand across his own mouth.  
"Who kissed _me_!?" Draco dropped Harry.  
"Not to say I enjoyed it. You obviously did, you homo sonofa..."  
"Fuck you Malfoy!" Harry tackled him onto the bed, hitting in a blind rage.  
"Why did you do it then, hey? Why?" Draco grabbed Harry's wrists, holding them away from his face. They made a strange picture, both breathing heavily, Harry straddling Draco's narrow waist.  
"To see if I felt anything. To see if I was suddenly developing a fetish for do-gooding little fags."  
"Because you fell for a mudblood do-gooding bitch."  
"That's right." Harry slowly clambered off of Draco.  
"Well did you?"  
"No. And that's what scares me."  
"Why?"  
"Potter you really are mundane sometimes. If it's not a fetish it means..." Draco pulled a face but forced himself to go on.  
"It means I might actually end up having...feelings for her."  
  
  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
Well that was unexpected........damn I just went and saw LOTR!!!!!!! I LOVE LEGOLAS AND ARAGON! *sigh* they are soooo hot! The movie was epic...LMAO Me and my friend held a running commentary through the whole thing...*twitch* poor people behind us  
  
  
ANNONYMOUSE  
Wow, cool, thanks for reading FD! Could've reviewed...*mutter mutter* Yes I know I'm ungrateful...*sigh* Read your fics and reviewed I think, so thanks much!!!  
  
LONELYGER  
That is really cool! I'm glad you like! Any comments for me to improve...and by the way, I'm posting this late at night...so sorry if it's a bit slipshot  
  
KELLY  
LOL I hope you like and review my other stuff too! :) But thanks for always being there and reading this, *hugz*  
  
*KARLY*  
Well I wrote more....she didn't mean to kill herself..................it was kinda...well it's explained in this chapter, if you still don't get it e-mail me at dijitalkitty@tokyo.com.... :)  
  
CHAOTICSLYTHERIN  
Mwahahaha....that's right, damn Harry...*shifty look* Ahhh i love Draco...almost as much as Legolas and his epicness....*sigh* Thanks heaps for your awesome review! It's one of my favourites (because it's so long, it makes me feel loved, I know I know, I know I'm sad....*sigh*) MC and Happy New Year to you too! (even if they're over, but I couldn't get this up in time... :( )  
  
TRIGEMINI  
LOL *giggles* I know, I hate stories like that and I always want to say errr...so predictable she won't die, they'll fall in love and blah blah blah...but then if it's any other way I complain and don't like...so we'll see about this.... :) So Mione's better now.......  
but what else will develop? Remember, there's lots of loose ends here...thanks for reviewing!  
  
p/s  
DRACO IS NOT GOING TO BECOME GAY!!! Sorry, but I can't write shounen ai...and the thought frankly makes me squirm.  
  
LOVE YA FOR REVIEWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need at least 4 reviews before I write the next chapter! :) 


	8. Sorries

[sorry]  
  
Hey everyone...just gotta say that I'm sorry but this fic probably will be on hold for a while because of those everyday things such as exams...and more exams...and, oh yea, schooL!  
  
Also I've kinda lost interest...inspire me! And maybe I'll be able to write again.  
Nah, I'm lyin...I'll probably still write...but it might be a whole lot different, be warned!  
  
- Sila*  
  
I hope y'all have a great year and holidays! :)  
  
  
(and thanks to hasapi and Book-Lover-210, :P)  
yes very confusing because I don't actually know where my mind is. Hasapi I hope ur enjoying my fic and if you read on more there's a little more information...:D 


	9. To Be or Not to Be, that is the question

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
Chapter 8: To be or not to be, that is the question  
  
"Truth had me up against the ropes   
and semi-concious without no boxing skills  
Fear of it makes hair on my neck grow like monoxodil  
Watchin the clock is ill when, faced wit' the truth..."  
  
Cold bastard. Hermione stared out the window vacantly, her mind obviously elsewhere. Outside the sleet and last night's snow turned the street into a giant dirt slushy.   
She wondered what it would be like to run out and lie in the melting filth, make snow angels on the damp concrete driveway.  
She rolled over, causing Kensington, Josh's dog, to jump off her bed and stare at her resentfully from the cold floor.   
In what dreams may come...  
If she could only sleep. If she could only escape these dreams.  
  
Draco lay on his back, listening to the rain on the tin roof. He guessed that this guest wing must've been an extension because the rest of the house had slate on the roof. How...cheap.   
Strangely enough, he wasn't missing home. He did wonder what his father was up to. His mind glided smoothly over Narcissa, ignoring her existence and all the bittersweet memories that went with her name. It hurt too much. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Her existence was a lie. She was dead.  
The room felt strangely empty and cold without Potter. Not that he'd ever admit that of course, short of a lobotomy and personality transplant. Watch the rain....  
It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring...he went to bed and bumped his head and couldn't get up in the morning...  
Hmmm, what was the mudblood doing?  
  
He sighed and rolled over to glare at the neon display of his alarm clock.  
10:00 am.  
Maybe it was time to get up.  
Maybe it was time to go.  
Maybe it was time to leave.   
  
Maybe it was time to say goodbye.  
He felt a cold jolt to somewhere within himself.   
Lying on the avenue of broken dreams.  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"Let the truth be told, from young souls that become old  
From days spent in the jungle, where must one go  
To find it, time is real, we can't rewind it  
Out of everybody I met, who told the truth? Time did..."  
  
"Hermione?"  
"What?"  
"I need to go to the shops."  
"Ok."  
"Do you or Draco need anything?" Josh had to raise his voice to make the muffled sound pass through the door.   
"No."  
"Ok. I'll be back around 5."  
"Yeah."  
  
Hermione got out of bed ever so slowly, flopping on her stomach and dragging herself along the floor. On her TV, the Teletubbies were frolicking happily.  
Exhausted from the effort of navigating the world commando-style, she rolled onto her back and stared at the roof, the only sound being the ticking of her clock and the faint rustle and rush of water from the bathroom.   
What can you remember, Hermione? What about your friends and dreams before Hogwarts?  
  
Her first crush... James D'Arven... a smile touched her lips as she remembered the last time she saw him.   
The beautiful curve of his neck as he expelled the smoke, his handsome profile and expression of utter bliss. The backdrop of woodland and sky behind his head. The way he looked at her.  
"How you been doing, 'Mione?"  
And her first kiss...he tasted sweet and smoky...  
It made her crave it. Just try it. When was the last time she had done something forbidden?   
Oh yeah, that's right. She ended up in hospital.  
Stupid 'Mione. Should stick to following rules.  
  
Yuri. Happy, shining Yuri. Riiiight, remember that time when Masako stole that car and you were looking up at him, and he looked down at you as the highway of the world sped by? Everything blurred, the light was shining lines like in those time-lapse photos. There's no such thing as potholes when you're with Masako and Yuri...the world just flows so smoothly...  
He had looked so beautiful then.   
And Yuri was so delighted in the backseat.  
She had always wanted them to be together.  
  
What happened? And poor Harry. She had to call him up soon.  
But no...for the moment let her discover the truth...  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"So constantly I seek it  
Wonderin why I gotta drink a six pack to speak it  
Took a picture of the truth and tried to develop it  
Had proof, it was only recognized by the intelligent..."  
  
Draco frowned as he soaped himself over. It was...too cliche. The bad boy falls for the good girl...la la la they settled down and live happily ever after. If he didn't know better, he'd swear that somebody had put him under a fairytale curse.  
  
He didn't love her. He didn't even like her. He stuck his head under the spray and squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed the shampoo from his hair.  
Sure, she was hot. So? Any girl could be hot given the right situation.  
Well, at least he wasn't attracted to fags like Potter.  
Ow ow ow shampoo in his eye.  
Dammit, now his eye was going to be red.  
And he couldn't use magic because he wasn't at home and he was within the "underage wizard alert" area.  
  
What could he do? Certainly not go home.   
To die...to sleep...  
To sleep...  
Perchance to dream...  
Suddenly he was weary of this world. Weary of this existence. If only he could be reborn...see this world through a new light.   
Feel the rain on his face again as it traced a path from his eyelashes, curving down his cheeks and running into his mouth against his open lips.  
Numbly he got out of the shower and not even bothering to dry himself, he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked blindly to the hall balcony.  
He threw open the doors and welcomed the icy cold, succumbing to the numbness as the wind battered him and the rain bruised his tender face.  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
What was he doing? Hermione peeked out of her door, to see Draco standing in nothing but a towel as the rain lashed down in torrents, soaking the hallway landing's tiles and making puddles as the water dripped down his pale, marble body. The waterlogged towel clung to his thighs as he stood with his eyes closed, arms outstretched.  
Slowly he stepped outside, moving towards the edge of the balcony.  
  
"Malfoy?" She whispered.  
"Malfoy..." Screams, a dilemma, a truth untold and lies circling viciously as they nipped at her head. Black and white crimson images flashing through her mind.  
She needed to be held.  
"Malfoy!" She called, running blindly towards him.  
Sometimes your mind plays tricks on you.   
And in stormy weather anything can be believable.  
Because the clouds dimmed the light. The lightning flashed and thunder spooked. The rain, soaking in torrents fogged your vision.   
And under the rain, under the maelstrom of swirling clouds two teenagers were tricked. Into believing the illusion of love.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist. Stood there for an eternity until she felt his arms wrap around her waist, his hands buried in her hair. Taste the rain on his lips, on his skin.  
Kiss the rain.  
Moving backwards as the door slams shut and all that is heard in the house is their breathing and the rain howling outside.  
The shower...the shedding of the soaked second skin. Feverish kisses, burning intensity. No passion greater than hate.   
No words.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
Hermione woke up in her bed the next morning.  
"Where am I?"  
She panicked at the blank. What time was it, what happened since yesterday morning, had she been sleeping the whole time? Was it just a dream?  
Looking at her wrist she saw the faint baby pink peach colour of new skin. Of scars.   
And out of the corner of her eye she saw the shadow duck from sight and fade away.   
So it was true.  
No regrets.  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"Good Morning 'Mione." Her dad rumbled happily as he chowed down his breakfast. She grunted in reply.  
"What are you doing today?"  
"Not sure."  
"Ok dear. Well if you need some money, you know it's in the spaghetti jar, ok?"  
"Mmm."  
With half a piece of toast dangling from her mouth she trudged her way back to her room. Past the living room. Pause. Draco sat there, already dressed and draped elegantly across the sofa.  
She snarled and grunted through her sandwich. It was almost as if it never happened.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
She knew she should feel...disturbingly happy. I mean, first time and all, right? Running her fingers through her hair she sat at her desk, pen in hand.  
Forget about it. It was time to think about Masako now.  
She had to break him out tonight. How? Magic, of course.   
Then what would she do with him? Her parents wouldn't really care to have another anonymous male in the house.   
Involve Josh?  
Too risky. She didn't want to get her brother in trouble.  
The door creaked open.  
"'Mione?"   
"Hey Jacob, what's up?" She put her pen and paper aside for the moment, and cleared her head.  
It seemed like it had been so long since she'd had time to really talk with her little brother. He looked pretty distraught. She pointed to the bed.  
"Sit." And he obeyed.  
"Tell me what's the matter."  
He took a deep breath.  
"I..." He screwed up his face and tried again, his finger tracing along the patterns on her duvet.  
"Hermione...I think I might be magical too." He whispered.  
Her eyebrows raised. It was a possibility. A rare one, but a possibility no less.  
She looked at her little brother. He looked so forlorn and lost.  
"Don't you want to be magical? Like me and Draco?" She asked gently. He nodded his head vigorously, but wouldn't look up.  
"Jacob...well if you are, I'll start training you in some stuff. When you're twelve, which is in two years, you'll get a letter from Dumbledore and you can come to Hogwarts."  
He frowned.  
"But you won't be there." Hermione's heart fell, he just looked so cute.  
"Come here, silly." He approached and got pulled into a hug.  
"Just because I'm not there doesn't mean I can't help you, does it?" She brushed away his hair from his eyes. He'd be a heartbreaker when he was older.  
"We don't get to talk very much anymore, and I realise that everything that's happening might be very strange for you. But there are some situations that can't be helped, and to deal with this is all a part of growing up."  
"Ok."   
"Alright? Well you go figure out if you're magical...here, try and do something with this horrid hat Aunty Francis gave me and then whenever you want to talk, I'm here."  
"Ok." He smiled and sniffled a little, then ran out the door.  
She looked up, smiling, then her smile dropped.  
"Cute kid." The shadow spoke.  
"Yeah."  
"He'll probably be smarter than you." Draco smirked.  
"Pfft."  
"Can I come in?" She waved her hand in reply, and Draco came in, with Snowball following closely.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
I didn't know what to say to her. It just seemed so wrong...we should be all lovey-dovey, not acting as if it didn't happen. Well, we know it happened. But...it just didn't seem like a big deal.  
I didn't know. If I started being all lovey-dovey and romantic then she'd probably slap me and shake me. If I started being an asshole again, she'd kick me out of her house. I found myself realising that I didn't want to leave this house, this temporary 'home' that I'd found. Not just yet.  
Maybe we could even be friends.  
  
"Uh...So what are you doing?" I cleared my throat.  
"Nothing much. Hey. You help me!" She declared, as if she'd just had a brilliant idea as she pointed her finger at me. I narrowed my eyes. Help her do what? I was a Malfoy. I wasn't going to do anything mundane...especially not gardening or toilet-scrubbing. I wrinkled my nose in distaste.  
"You can help me break Masako out of jail!"  
I have to admit, I was a little startled. Not a cause Granger would go for so obviously.  
"I've got it! We can break him out tonight and he can stay at Harry's!"  
Oh God. Why did my heart twinge when she said Harry's name? It was the way she said it. So re-assured. She thought he'd always be there for her. Would he?  
Why did I have to remind myself that I had a heart?   
"And how are you planning on doing that, Granger? It's not like the movies. Jail-breaks aren't really that easy." I drawled. She gave me a superior look. As in I'm-rolling-my-eyes-because-I'm-with-stupid *insert arrow in my direction*.  
"But we're wizards." She emphasised the word wizard.  
"Well, a witch and a wizard anyway."  
I slapped my forehead and groaned.  
"You dickhead Granger, they probably have special wards on a prison. Who are you trying to break out anyway?" Her face went distant on me for a second.  
"An old friend. And I believe you can achieve anything if your heart is pure."  
It wasn't a diss to me. She didn't mean it. She didn't even know she said the jibe. But I felt it.   
And I pretended I didn't.  
"Whatever Granger. I'm bored anyway. Can we do something today?"  
"Malfoy, you're supposed to be here because you're recovering, not because it's a holiday in Muggleworld. Piss off."  
I gave her my most dejected, puppy dog look.   
Her eyes narrowed, she knew I wasn't serious. I was just playin. But she sighed.  
"Ok. We'll go out today."  
Pause.  
"But you're getting a lot better, maybe you should be going home soon, Malfoy."  
Shit.   
I'd better change her mind soon, and fast.  
One day of Malfoy loving hadn't changed her opinion of me. Come to think of it...all it had influenced is how I felt about her.  
I'm pretty sure I didn't like her.  
But the sad truth, and the fact of the matter was...  
I think I was falling. For the first time in my life.  
  
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
  
Another purely WAFF chapter. I know, I know, I should have more of a plot...and I do! I just lose it most of the time.  
Which means this'll be a pretty long story I think.  
Depends.  
Meh.  
  
CAVARADOSSI  
LOL I aim to confuse...If I can't understand it what fun is it if other people can?  
  
REANNE080  
LOL Well I usually wait a while because I don't get too many reviews. Well I do actually...but...oh never mind I'm talking crap again. I hope you're enjoying the story...I'm trying not to make it too long but my mind seems to wander off on random tangents...so please bear with me!!  
  
HELEN  
heheh it's a Draco/Hermione...is that what you wanted? Because I don't write slash. I just did that for fun. ;)  
Keeps the readers on their toes.  
  
TOMMYGURL  
LOL cheers for all the reviews!!! Would make you my beta reader....actually I think I'll go send this to you now.   
  
RAGAZZA DOULCE  
LOL thanks soooo much for the reviews! I'm pretty sure that I've read a couple of your stories before...your nick sounds familiar. Hmmm I'll go check it out later actually. :P  
  
SILVER MASAMUNE  
Cool nickname! What's a masamune? LOL ok if Yuri's name changes throughout the story...ignore me...I keep forgetting what it is :P But she's not that important in the story...actually...nah I won't tell you coz it's a spoiler :P heheh I know Yuri is the word for shoujo-ai (girl/girl love) but that's not what I was implying...I just wanted like a nice girly japanese name that wasn't too long to type. heheh okies  
  
SAMSON  
wher? Nevermind, serves me right for not reading what I post half the time...I'm guessing your a guy which in that case I feel sorry for you because this stuff is all mushy until...hmmm...ok the chapter after next *have to set myself guidelines otherwise I'll write crap forever* If you're not a guy...I'm really sorry! Please forgive me because I'm just a poor reject....(as my nice friend Kelly would say)  
  
Ok well aside from all the shit I've been telling you people that probably doesn't matter...the next chapter will be up...hopefully within...soon... :S  
  
heheh tc  
keep reading  
  
Lu*Sila 


	10. Jailbreak

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
A fanfiction by Sila-chan  
  
Dedicated to: Gliniel de Silva Malfoy+Wood...you deserve something for that many reviews!!!  
  
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Chapter 9: Jailbreak...ok so sue me the title isn't original!!!  
God she hated dialtones. She tapped her fingernails on the desk.  
"Harry?"  
"Yeah. What's up?"  
"It's Hermione."  
"Oh."  
Silence.  
"So...what've you been up to?" Harry sounded sleepy, half-awake. One of the few luxuries he would have in this difficult life.  
"Not much. You?"  
"Uh, just hanging with Sirius mainly." He scratched his head dopily and yawned.  
An awkward silence. Wow, first in the seven years she'd known Harry.  
"Mmm. Uh...I'm sorry Harry." She blurted out.  
There was another pause, and a sigh from the other end.  
"It's ok. How _are_ you and him now?"  
Hermione bit her lip and frowned. What could she say? Oh yeah, he's a terrific root, but we're not actually talking that much at the moment...  
"Yeah...I guess we've sorted things out." She winced. Bullshit.  
"Great. Forgive me if I don't sound too pleased."  
"Nothing doing. I don't suppose you'd do me a favour would you?" She crossed her fingers. She was asking a bit much, but then...didn't Harry at least owe her something from all the times she'd saved their asses?  
"Depends. What is it?"  
"Come out to coffee with me and Draco. I need your help with something tonight."  
Another pause. Rustling and tv background noise. She began doodling on her piece of paper.  
Another sigh.  
"Alright. Where, what time." He yawned.  
"Meet us at the Kainsbridge, it's near the station. At 12."  
"Alright. See ya." Click. The line was dead.  
She stared at the phone. Males. Always take and never give.  
The friendship was slowly beginning to heal. She'd just have to keep the bottle of caustic soda away from it. Speaking of which.  
"Draco? Are you dressed yet?" She got up and left the room.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
The dead leaves rustled as she stepped on them with her knee-high boots.  
If she just stopped thinking for a while, she could almost imagine she was somewhere else, in Paris, or even Italy. She felt her heart soar. How she'd love to go there, to walk beside the riviera...  
She heard faint footsteps and the crunching of leaves underfoot behind her, where Draco was dawdling. Him and Harry had some serious issues to sort out. Meaning that Draco was not a happy chap when she had told him what they were doing today. But she promised him tomorrow they'd go out and do something fun.  
Yeah right. They'd probably be babysitting Masako and removing the remaining traces of madness from him.  
She looked over at the playground. This place was so different from the park near her house. The little kids were adorable, they reminded her of Jacob when he was younger. No hoodlums hanging around late at night.  
She spun in the leaves and looked up at the overcast sky.  
As she turned to Draco to say something, she froze. His eyes, his hair. The way he stood as he watched he kids play. Why on earth did he suddenly look so perfect? He looked up.  
She closed her eyes slowly. And when she opened them everything was back to normal.  
"Granger, are you ok?"  
"Hmm. I'm fine." She crossed the road, leaving the cracked cobblestones for smooth tarmac.   
Turning to face the road, she waited for Draco, who was a little slower at crossing.  
"Bloody git." He mumbled as the cars rushed by. He pulled the collar of his coat up, tugging and fretting at it absently. She watched him, and spoke, startling him.  
"Malfoy, have you ever wanted to go somewhere? Paris, or France?"  
"Now why on earth would I want to do that, Granger? I've been there so many times..." He was cut off by Hermione's yanking insistently on the front of his coat.  
"Tell me about it! Please! Is it as beautiful as they say? Is it really that romantic?" Smiling wryly he pushed her away from him, making her hands drop.  
"Wouldn't have thought you were the mushy type, Granger. Still, I suppose everybody has their secrets. I guess it is quite beautiful, although I never really took the time to look. We were usually there on business."   
There was a quiet pause between them. They both knew what Draco implied by business. It was just a little hard to comprehend.   
Draco threw his hands up in the air.  
"Oh don't start Granger. I simply can't be bothered. Now why do you want to go there for? Find the love of your life, eh?" He sauntered past her, hands in pockets, whistling as he threw and caught a conker.  
"You wish, Malfoy. I just want to experience the culture. Be more experienced in the ways of the world."  
He narrowed his eyes and stopped mid-step. She watched curiously as he stood still, his back towards her.  
"Yes," he said, never turning around. "You need to experience the world. You're too innocent and corruptible as it is."  
And he kept walking, leaving Hermione to puzzle over that for herself.  
  
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Potter was late.  
I tapped my fingers on the table. Perfect hands. Elegant, aristocratic. Yet manly and strong.  
I tried not to wince as I thought about the times I had seen them wrapped around a wand. Green light reflecting off my knuckles. Hermione had made me think about that again. Stupid Mudblood.  
Maybe I'd take her to Paris or Italy one day.  
Yeah right Draco, go on a nice cozy 'round the world with the Mudblood.  
I chuckled.  
Keep dreaming...  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
Harry came in just as Draco and I were chatting idly. Eek. He didn't look very happy.   
I offered him some of my cinnamon coffee as an apology. I don't know why I was apologising, he was the one that was late.  
"So what's the problem?" He slid onto the leather seat in our booth next to me.  
"Harry, I've got a teensy little favour to ask you."  
"Shoot."  
"I need you and Draco to help me break Masako out of jail tonight." He frowned.  
"Are you crazy? Hermione, think about this. He's in jail for a reason!"  
"Harry..." I searched for the words. This is my perfect little world. My little bubble. And now I was going to have to end it. I was gonna have to take the dive and pop the bubble.  
"Masako is in there but it's all wrong. He'll die soon Harry. Think about it. All the times I've helped you and Ron do crazy and insane things! We didn't think twice!"  
"But I'm older now Hermione! I have to be more responsible!"  
"Well what do you think I've been thinking? I'm Head Girl for godsakes, Harry! Please, for Yuri..."  
"I never even met Yuri." He grouched, but he wouldn't meet my eyes, which meant he was thinking it over. I bit my lip. And I was about to push him over the edge.  
"And uh...I need him to be able to stay at your place for a while..."  
"Uh uh. No way. He can't!" He looked at me, frowning.  
"Why on earth not?"  
"Because it's not my house! It's Sirius's!"  
"Well ask Sirius then." Draco drawled. Harry shot him a look, and Draco seemed to bristle.  
"Why doesn't he stay at your house then?"  
"Because he'd get killed. And he can't stay with Hermione because it's too much on her parents. And before you say anything Potter, I'm leaving her house soon anyway."  
This seemed to quieten Harry down a little.  
"I'll ask." He finally said.  
"But I can't promise anything."  
"Thank you Harry! You're the best!" I kissed him on the cheek.   
"Why can't we send him to Ron's?"  
"Ron wouldn't understand. You know how self-righteous he is. Reminds me alot of you two sometimes."  
"Weasley's going to feel very left out when you tell him of your summer adventures, 'Mione." Draco murmured silkily with a sly smile. Harry glanced between the two of us, eyes narrowed. Uh oh.  
"Don't you start. We'll deal with that when we come to it. Harry, can you meet with us at seven at Grand Central?"  
"Can do. What are you two doing for the rest of the day?"  
"I am going shopping. Boring Granger wants to study and plan for tonight."  
"Shopping, hey?" Potter's eyes had a suspicious gleam.  
"You can't come, nancy-boy." He snarled.  
"Settle it outside you two. Come on, I'm going to pay the bill."  
"Alright then. I'll see you tonight, Herm'. Malfoy."  
"Yeah. Tonight, Wonderboy." They gave each other typical male macho looks and departed.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
It was almost 2 when Draco came home.  
"What the hell is that?" I looked up as he stuck his head into my room.  
"I'm not sure. It looked amusing so I bought it."  
"With what?" I demanded. The idiot had just gone and bought a very expensive looking laptop.  
"I summoned some of the jewellry from my house." He shrugged.  
Looking at his hands, I noticed that he had several expensive looking rings on. Thick, silver, with black detailing on them.  
"I already sold all the gold. Oh wait, I saved this one for you."  
Putting down the laptop, he dug around in his pockets.  
"Here." He put something in my outstretched palm nonchalantly.  
"Draco! I can't accept this!"  
It was a beautiful gold ring and it felt like it would collapse any minute.  
"It's made of the finest, thinnest gold." He smirked.  
"I can't take it, Malfoy. Take it back." He stepped backwards, smirking.  
"I'm not an indian giver. Keep it."  
"Why? Is there a curse on it or something?" He gave me a look.  
"No. A charm."  
I raised an eyebrow. Why would he want to protect me?  
He sighed.  
"You saved me. I save you. If you're ever in desperate trouble...say you're weak. Tap this line. Say Armicus Elsayi. Hold it carefully and it'll open. There's blood in there. Drink it."  
I wrinkled my nose and looked at him in disbelief.  
"Ewww! Why would I want to drink blood?" He growled in mock-annoyance and ran a hand through his hair.  
"Because it's strong. It's powerful. It'll save you. It's from my very first sire."  
"And who would that be?"  
"One of the elven breed. Elsayi D'Malfoi, if you have to be precise."   
"Figures. Well...thanks very much....I think."  
He paused, looking at me strangely before he grabbed my wrist.  
"This isn't a game, Hermione. This is life, and we lead a very dangerous one."  
Dropping my hand as if it burnt, he picked up his shiny new silver laptop and walked off into his room.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
The door creaked open slowly.   
"Draco?"  
"Hmmm." He said in response.  
"Thanks for the ring." He shrugged it off.  
I sat on the bed next to him.  
"I'm sorry I don't have anything to give you."  
He stared at her, expressionless.  
"You don't owe me anything, Granger."  
I tentatively brushed his hair from his eyes.  
He didn't flinch, didn't push my hands away.  
Only just looked into my eyes as he pulled me down onto the bed and kissed me.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"What are we doing, Granger?" He spoke as he watched her sleep.  
She looked so beautiful, like a siren when she slept.  
"You and I can never be. But I don't want to lose you." His eyes ran over every inch of her, from the thick dark lashes framed against porcelain skin to the somewhat small and undersized body beneath his black and grey satin sheets.  
"You've changed me so. Why?" A sad smile touched his lips as he scooped Snowball up in one arm as she jumped onto the bed.  
"It could never be, Granger. You are just a mudblood. I am just...a Malfoy." he laughed.  
"I never thought I'd say that. Look at me, talking to you while you were asleep. Why is it so hard to believe that I might actually love you? Look at the way you've drawn Potter and Weasel around your finger. Angel." He watched as Snowball nanced up to Hermione and snuggled against her chest. Her eyes slowly opened, semi-startling Draco.  
"Would it do you better if I was the daughter of Queens, Malfoy?" She reached one arm from out beneath the sheets and traced along his jawline. His eyes caught and held hers.  
"No. Because in the end Granger, you and I could still never be." He closed his eyes painfully and held her hand to his cheek.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"We only have a little time left."  
"Let's just concentrate on tonight, shall we?" She remarked coldly. He felt shot down. He shook his head. Serves him right for having a heart.  
"Ok."  
They sat silent, in the cab at 3 in the morning.   
Harry was snoozing next to Hermione as Draco sat in the passenger seat.  
"Ok. Harry, you know what you're going to do? Harry? HARRY!!" He jumped awake, startled. As he snorted and snuffled, he groaned and slapped his forehead.  
"It's humiliating." He whined.  
"Please, Harry?"   
He grumbled.  
"You owe me big time."  
"Thank you so much!" Hermione kept the big, sincere smile pasted to her lips.   
"Draco you keep a lookout. One alohomora and we should be out of here."  
Taking three big breaths they paid the cabbie and stepped out.   
Hermione had never felt so alone as she stood on the kerb as the taxie zoomed away.  
_________________________________________________________________  
Of course, things never go that smoothly.  
  
The distraction worked perfectly.  
I mean, wouldn't you look twice at the image of a naked Harry running down the corridors? Of course it was an illusion, but magic is just so much more...real, than holograms, don't you think?  
Once the guards had left, Hermione and Draco apparated towards Masako's ward.  
Ooooh, big mistake. As soon as they landed on the cold grey floor, they looked up as a seated form rose to it's feet.  
The blonde guard from before was there. With a big, drooling dobermann pinscher and an evil smile.  
"I knew there was something fishy about you, girl!" Her pretty face contorted into a horrible mask as she smiled bitterly.  
"Think you can take my Masako from me, eh?" Hermione realised just how big the other woman was compared to herself, and took a step back.  
Smiling cruelly, the guard's eyes shifted to the dogs leash.  
Her eyes widened.  
"Oops!" She mocked, putting her hand to her mouth, red nails vibrant against the pale of her skin.   
"I guess my grip slipped." The huge dog was bounding towards them, flecks of foamy drool rimming it's mouth. It's red gums. It's sharp, yellow teeth. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw the guard grin and clasp her hands behind her head. The sick bitch was actually going to stand there and watch!  
"Hermione get _out_ of the way, you stupid Mudblood!" Draco pulled with all his strength and sent her flying onto the cold cobblestones.  
"Avada Kedrava!" The dog fell on it's back, eyes open as the life faded from it.   
Suddenly the glossy, sweaty coat was dull, the eyes a pale lemon yellow as they filmed over and the spittle running down it's jaw dry. Draco watched it, emotionless as he kicked the corpse.  
"Are you hurt?" He turned to Hermione. She nodded and her eyes widened.  
"Draco look out!" She pulled him down just in time to hear the whistle as a well-muscled leg swung through the air.  
"Fucking bitch and pet whore!" The guard swore.  
"I'll take you down myself then!"  
A sense of Harry appeared behind the guard.  
"Hurry you two, I can't hold this much longer!" and it was gone.  
"Talk about pressure." Hermione muttered.  
Draco had had enough. Pushing himself off of Hermione he stood and turned to face the guard. He advanced, arms outstretched.  
"Piss off, woman!" He growled as he grabbed her shirt front and her shorts and threw her towards the wall where she crumpled in a bloody heap. She was big compared to Hermione, but Draco was 6'3", and still growing.  
"Alohomora!" He said in a rush and Masako fell out of the cell. He must've propped himself against the bars.  
"Fuck, she's drugged him! I'll take him down and back to Harry's place, I'll meet you there. If you aren't there in fourty five, I'm coming back to look for you."  
She nodded. Just then she caught the movement of shadows on the wall.  
"They're coming up the stairs! GO!" She pushed Draco towards the window.  
"Infractatus!" The bars shattered in a second, and he jumped out, coat billowing behind him.  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" They hovered gently until they began to fall...  
  
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"Where the hell is she?" Draco paced in Harry's bedroom.  
"I don't know! Sit down Malfoy, you're making me nervous!"  
"I make you nervous, do I pansy-boy? Good! You and your stupid mudblood friend can't even come up with a decent plan! I knew something would go wrong! I knew it!" He muttered scathingly.  
Harry started laughing.  
"What? What is it Potter?"  
"Hehe...you remind me of Snape..."  
Perhaps that wasn't the smartest thing to say to someone who can Avada you when they were in that mood...  
Draco gave him a disgusted look.  
"And you would think this because you analyse him in your spare time, wouldn't you? Ooooh, Snape, that greasy hair is such a turn on....look at his pert butt and beer gut!" Draco sneered as he mocked Harry in a high voice.  
"Why, Draco you're so good at imitations...can I please hear you say 15 points from Gryffindor, just once? It's such a turn-on..." Harry looked at him sultrily.  
Draco shuddered.  
"Good god Potter, don't be such a faggot. Stay on that side of the room, please."  
Harry sighed and rolled his eyes.  
"Let's get one thing straight Draco, I'm not a faggot, don't describe homosexuals in that way and I'll have you know, I only do it to annoy you."  
Draco ignored him and began staring out the window.  
Sirius pushed the door open and stepped into the room.  
"Ok...the drug they've put in his system is pretty serious. Have you ever heard of Dragonbane?"  
  
Draco's eyes widened in horror as he whipped his head around. He suddenly felt clammy and cold.  
"How in living hell did Muggles get a hold of that?" Sirius frowned and shook his head.  
"I have no idea. I suspect they're working with a dark toady...probably someone like Pettigrew." He snarled, still nursing more than a grudge.  
"What is it?" Harry asked, staring at Masako curiously.  
"It's like heroin, only for humans. It drives you to madness, it's addictive and some people die from even just the hallucinations. It's living hell. It's made from a plant called Lateralus Dominica and steeped in Dragon venom diluted with blood." Draco muttered in a quiet and deadly calm voice.  
Siruis raised his eyebrow, but left it alone. Harry however, was not.  
"Have you taken it before Malfoy?"  
Draco glared at him.  
"Is it any of your business, Potter?"  
"Well we need to know how serious it is, and it's probably better told by someone who's experienced the effects first hand."  
Draco lowered his eyes. They waited for him to continue.  
"Yes." He finally said.  
"Once. And I'm lucky I lived through that experience."  
"That's the only thing I've ever been ashamed of in my life. Ever."  
Sirius nodded for him to continue.  
"It's horrible. It's living in hell. You become paranoid, you have nausea. Everything that touches you feels like a thousand spiders crawling. When you look in a mirror, you see death. You see maggots crawling from your eye sockets and you smell death on your clothes. You can't stand your friends being around you because they're dead, to you. You can't eat, you can't drink or you'll throw up everything in your system and keep throwing up. You can't sleep. And it burns your senses, until you can't smell, can't see. Can't feel anything. You can't even tell if you stop breathing." He took a deep breath, and Sirius nodded sympathetically as he wiped the pale sheen of sweat from his brow.  
Draco looked at Masako.  
"He's been on it for a while. I couldn't quite place my finger on it when I was flying him down, but there was something wrong with him. They haven't been giving him lethal doses, however," He said, re-assuring Sirius and Harry.  
"They've been giving enough to make him dependent on them. I think it's because they couldn't use the heroin because his body just rejects it. I think he's been a user before. He squatted and pointed to the faintest of faint scars, just below Masako's elbow.   
"This was probably the biggest dose Masako has ever received. It'snot lethal...just enough to put him on the effects of hell." Draco said soberly.  
"Why do you care so Malfoy?" Harry watched him closely. Draco looked at him sharply.  
"I care because I've been to that hell and back. Nobody deserves that, you hear me? No one. I wouldn't even wish that on Voldemort." He said quietly.  
"This Dragonbane, how long would you say the effects will affect him, Malfoy?" Sirius asked thoughtfully.  
Draco looked at Masako for a long time, calculating his body weight and receptivity to drugs.  
"I'm not sure. I'm guessing they gave him this dose yesterday. I'll estimate at around...another three days before he comes out of it."  
"Four days of this?" Harry asked disbelievingly. Draco looked distant and ran his hands through his hair.  
"Yeah. But it's good, coz he's already been through one. Only three more days to go. What you gotta do, is move his limbs so he doesn't get a stopping of blood flow or something. Then on the third day from today, tie him up. He'll be fighting when he awakes, and he'll be wanting more Dragonbane."  
Harry looked troubled.  
"Why would he want more if it's so painful?"  
"It's addictive Potter, I can't believe you're so naive. Haven't you ever tried drugs?" Draco's eyes widened involuntarily and he glanced at Sirius reflexively.  
"I didn't mean..."  
"That's ok, Malfoy, I don't suspect he idolizes you enough to try them anyway. And if he does, I personally will kill him." Sirius drawled.  
"I won't, Sirius." Harry groaned.  
They heard the ringing of the doorbell.  
"Well what do you know, the fifteen minutes is up."  
"I'm going to go answer that." Sirius hefted himself from the wall.  
"I'll come too, just in case." Draco followed him out the door.  
"Potter, hide Masako in case that it's someone who shouldn't know about him. Stay in here, pretend you're asleep or studying or something."  
Draco shut the door, face impassive. Inside he was trembling. Was it Hermione or not?  
  
As he turned to walk down the stairs, Sirius gripped his arm and looked into his eyes, searchingly.  
"What are you doing, Black?"  
"Mr Black to you. Your father...he was the one who gave Dragonbane to you, wasn't he?" Draco pushed Sirius' hand off his arm angrily.  
"It wasn't my father, I wish you people would mind your own business. It was Voldemort if you have to know. I was stupid and foolish and that is a mistake I shall never repeat again." he said defiantly. Watching Sirius, he straightened his shirt and dusted himself.  
"Now, if you don't mind." He drawled.  
"Of course. Malfoy." Sirius kept his temper in check. There was something wrong...something different about this Malfoy. There were so many secrets and mysteries here. How did he keep it all without going insane?  
They stepped forward to open the door, Draco waiting with abated breath as Sirius' hand turned the door handle...  
Oooh cliffhanger...don't worry, I hate them too!  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES  
Okkkkkkkk Dragonbane was essential to this story to see the effect of wizard drugs on muggle bodies. However, Masako has a history of drug use and so...well, it would affect him slightly less...but only minisculy.   
I can't spell that word. Ignore me...lmao.  
Oh yeah, just in case you didn't read the review I posted...  
The song from last chapter is called 'The Truth' by Pharoah Monche, feat Common and Talib Kweli. (I think)  
It's a hip-hop song, so if you aren't into that music, I'm warning you know...it's that kind of stuff. (real hip-hop, not nelly or ja rule crap)  
Also....I did a mention of Jenny from the Block in one of these chapters. I seriously apologise for this right now. It was stuck in my head and I was horrified to re-read it later.  
I was so surprised by the responses to this chapter I went and wrote this one...and this is probably the last you'll get for a lil' while because school is a HASS and taking up most of my precious time! :(  
  
Finally, that's it for this chapter! Sayonara  
  
Ja ne!  
Lu*Sila  
  
THANK-YOU'S  
Shiiiiiiit, I can't believe all the reviews I got on this!!!! Woo!  
  
SILVER MASAMUNE  
LOL awesome, so a masamune is like the sword the guys from Kingdom of Hearts carry? Ohhhh speaking of which this guy in my IM class did a wicked pic of that....:( Thanks for reading!!!  
  
TRIGEMINI  
Thank you for keeping reading! If that makes any sense. The phrases in quotation marks are from a song called "The Truth" by Pharoah Monche feat Common and Talib Kweli. If you wanna d/l search under Pharoah Monche I think.... it's a really good song if you're into hip-hop! (Proper hip-hop, not that ja-rule dmx nelly stuff)  
  
REANNE080  
hehehe not sure if this is interesting enough for you...but is a little bit of action away from the waff! hehehe....harry running naked through the halls....*chuckles merrily*  
  
RABBIT  
heheh I love your nick!!! haaaaahahahahah! *rofl* sorry. Thanks so much for the review! Ummmmmmm I know it's a little confusing when I switch, but if you read carefully you should be able to tell the difference between first and third person easily...I know it's kinda confusing but Sila is too lazy to type ***Hermione*** ***Draco*** ***Sila*** or whatever at the start of sections....so please bear with me! It's just my style of writing!  
  
DREAMING ONE  
LMAO of course I'm up to the challenge! Sorry, I didn't think he seemed that mushy, although he does seem a little over-protective and mushy towards Hermione...but wouldn't you if she, someone who has no plausible reason to be nice, took you in and looked after you and continously be'd nice even when you were a bitch? That'd probably change my mind... :P   
  
TEMPTATION SARROW  
Was that meant to be sorrow? :) LMAO thanks for...loving my story, heheh! Of course they'll get together....they often get together... o.0 Not fair...*hunts hermione and switches bodies with her* Draco: Granger, why are you so stoopid suddenly? Me/Hermione: *gopher face* Der...  
Why doesn't anyone like yaoi? heheh it's ok...but i was in the mood for pretty boy love... :P keep reading please!  
  
GLINIEL DE SILVA MALFOY+WOOD  
Whoa!!! Girlie, THANK YOU for all the reviews! Heheh that's right, lil' Draco is a stuck up biatch...and no! Snowball is Granger/Malfoy kitty! Bad Gliniel! *snatches it off you* mwahhahahah well here is the continue... and yes, Hermione gets grumpy PMS... don't we all? *bares teeth and snarls*  
  
SERENITY  
Oh God! Thanks for the constructive critiscism (which I can't spell) Please keep reading and reviewing and there will be more good lyrical things for sure!!!  
  
THE GOOD REVIEW FAIRY  
Heheheh! Oh kewlies! I'm such a bimbo I didn't even think to write all that crap in my author's notes...dun wanna bore the readers now, do I? LMAo horror is horrible... o.0 *yer, good english sila* but it's present...at the very start when beautiful Draco has the sh*t beaten out of him...! Maybe I should've actually written that scene. Nahhhhh not good to scare readers away first thing... :)  
LMAO no, can't have Draco being a cream puff!!!! He'd be...well, dumb then! LOL thanks VERY MUCH for the review, you don't know how warm and fuzzy it made me feel! 


	11. Broken Sky

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
Chapter 10: Broken sky  
  
Eloise swung open the door to her rather country home. Ugh. How she couldn't stand these old english rose, cottagey decorations around the house. What she wouldn't give to rip the paper off the walls and slash the stupid paintings with a big sharp knife.  
She didn't bother notifying her parents that she was home. Why should she? It's not like they would care. She kicked off her shoes at the door, leaving them untidily stacked on one another, laces trailing.  
  
So Hermione Granger, huh? It was indeed strange that they hadn't seen one another for almost five years. People change, dramatically indeed.  
She growled and snarled as she pulled her clothes off to change.  
Finally standing in front of the mirror clad only in her school skirt and bra, she gazed at herself critically. Nope, nothing wrong there, she thought smugly as she pivoted in the mirror. Perfect, unflawed skin, blue/grey eyes and long lashes. Proportionate mouth that could be described as a winter rosebud. Well, it was a frosty pink at least. Her hair was in top condition. Her skin was soft and creamy as always, and her figure left nothing to be desired. Well, ok...her thighs were a little too thick and she hated the roundness of her almost but not quite washboard stomach. It was just so...maternal, she thought with disgust.  
  
So why the hell did Granger have boys following her everywhere and Eloise did not? It couldn't be that she was a slut. For one, perfect pristine Granger even being deflowered before marriage? Eloise raised a perfect eyebrow. No way in hell. Anyway, it wasn't like Eloise was exactly difficult to get in the sack, and all of her conquests didn't follow her around like lovesick puppies. Besides the pathetic ones, of course. So what was it? Were these two boys dependent on Granger in some way?   
The blonde one, no way. She narrowed her eyes. The way he had treated her when she first saw them, they were definitely not close. So why would he be around? He must owe Granger something. But that second time at the park, when the dark-haired guy had appeared, the blonde and Granger had seemed a lot closer.  
Eloise let out a harsh laugh. Wow, now all Granger needed was a red-head.  
Well. By the end of this summer, she'd have Granger in a permanent state of living hell. How to accomplish this? Hmmm...she smiled delightfully as an idea went off in her head. Joshua Granger had always been a little in love with little old Eloise...  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
Ignore the sweat.  
  
Draco felt his face pale to ash as the door swung open to reveal two London Bobbies, with Hermione sandwiched between them looking tiny. His heart dropped to his stomach as his heartbeat raced and the blood rushed to his head.  
She looked up at him apologetically and gave him a small, weak smile and he felt his body shiver.  
His eyes went blank as he recalled his mother's voice  
"Draco darling, somebody just walked over your grave..." She teased in a lilting, mocking voice.  
  
He faintly recalled Sirius giving him a warning look as he welcomed the two policemen into the living room, but Draco didn't care. He just...he had to...  
  
Draco made it into the kitchen before the spinning room finally overtook him and he passed out.  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
"Good afternoon. You are, Mr Black, I presume?" Sirius nodded courteously.  
"Indeed I am. May I offer you some tea?" The pale englishwoman with her tightly pinned straw-blonde hair and her heavy-set, ruddy-faced partner nodded gratefully.  
"It's very cold out there, sir." She sipped at her cup thankfully.  
"Herm'?" He offered, unsure of calling her by her full name with the police there. Absently she shook her head. She seemed to be in a world all of her own.  
"Ms Granger is in a lot of trouble, to be frank, sir." Sirius carefully set his cup down.  
"Go on." He remarked gravely.  
"Well there is the charge of first degree manslaughter. There is also intent to aid and abet a known criminal, breaking and entering, and..." The young policewoman looked at her senior partner, as if unsure to go on. He nodded for her to continue.  
"use of Underage Magic in a restricted area." She finished, disbelievingly.  
Sirius folded his hands pensively as he gazed over his steepled fingertips at the police.   
Every couple of seconds he would glance at Hermione and sigh.  
"We understand that this is a difficult time for you, Mr Black. However, we wondered if we could ask you a few questions?" The older male officer asked.  
"Go on." He began to rub his stubbled chin.  
"I hope you do not mind us recording your answers in any need for evidence should the circumstance occur. First, what is your relation to Miss Hermione Evanalysse Granger?"   
"She is close friends with my godson, Harry Potter. During the seven years they've known each other, Hermione has been a friend to me and like a god-daughter I never had." He said sincerely.  
"Ok." The senior constable made a note on his notepad.  
"And you would be willing to testify on Miss Granger's behalf as a character witness?"  
"I would."  
"Would you say Miss Granger is capable of throwing a grown and military-trained woman four feet through the air into a wall?" Sirius's eyes flickered.  
"Definitely not."  
"How would you describe Miss Granger, in a few words?"  
"A brilliant young woman, hard working, somebody who will do great things in her life." The policeman closed the little blue hardcover book.  
"Not if she goes to jail. But we will try our best to avoid that. Thank you very much, Mr Black. You've been more than helpful to our investigations and be assured, note has been taken of that."  
"One moment, kind sir and lady." He rose, hand out to halt them with an apologetic smile. They never saw his other arm move.  
"Obliviate." A flash appeared, the light reflecting off Hermione's horrified face.  
Sirius looked at her.  
"Sorry Hermione, it was-"  
"Necessary, I know, I know." She put her head in her hands frustratedly.  
"And you're going to hate me for using this next one."  
"The...the next one?"  
Sirius bit his lip.  
"Imperius." Hermione let out a sigh of relief. Privately she slightly resented Sirius, but she couldn't help the funny and embarrassing thought that she had thought for a second, only a second, that Sirius was about to Avada Kedrava the two police officers.  
As if...right?   
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"Draco. Draco, please, wake up now." He was jerked back to reality by the strong smell of salts under his nose. He awoke groggily.  
"Hmm. Where's 'Mione..." He muttered.  
Blinking blearily he finally managed to get his eyes to focus.  
"Oh shit. Hermione. I feel like I've been hit by a train." He managed to pull himself to a standing position, stumbling backwards.  
"I was so scared. So absoloutely, fucking scared." He groaned, gripping his head in his hands.  
"Draco, it's ok. I'm here now."  
"It's not fucking ok!" He snapped, looking at her with bloodshot eyes.  
"Do you know what you've gotten me into? Bloody Masako has Dragonbane in his system. Dragonbane! And now for some reason, you're here. When you came to the door assisted by two fricken Muggle pleasemen, or whatever they're called! I hate you mudblood, I really do." He groaned, burying his face into his hands again.  
"Draco Malfoy, don't get narky at me, ok! This has been a difficult two weeks without you making it worse!" her face was pale and withdrawn, but he wouldn't notice. Couldn't. Too wrapped up in his own...  
"Sometimes, mudblood, I get the feeling that you aren't really living in reality. That you've made some little world for yourself, somewhere else, where you can dream and ignore events as they happen at your will. And you've dragged me into it. Not just me, but Potter and his deranged godfather too!" he snarled.  
"Tell me what it matters, Draco. What have you got to lose?" She hissed.  
"Everything! Money, prestige. My life, Granger!"  
"Which you wouldn't have if it wasn't for me. Remember that night I saved your sorry ass?"  
The air turned cold around them.  
"I never thought you'd be the kind of person to say I owed them, Granger. Maybe you would've been better off in Slytherin after all."  
"How dare you!"  
"How dare I what? I'm telling the truth Granger. It hurts, don't it?"  
"The Sorting Hat never had any doubts!"  
"That was then. This is now."  
"How wonderfully cliche. Well, what are you going to do about it, Malfoy?"  
"What can I do? I'm leaving."  
"Then leave! Good riddance!"  
He gave her one last, unclear look. Was it troubled, or angry? Upset or sad?   
'It's time to get up. Time to get dressed. Time to go.'  
'It's time to say goodbye.'  
The thoughts echoed in his head.  
"Goodbye Granger. I might see you in school, and do me the favour of pretending that we never spoke."  
"Spare me, you stupid git. Fuck off."  
"I hope you have fun in jail, mudblood. I hear they're pretty rough with little girls." With a sneer he strode from the kitchen.  
  
Sirius came downstairs just in time to see the front door bang shut.  
"Do I need to ask- nevermind. Come upstairs Hermione, Masako's in a serious way. Worry about Malfoy later."  
"Who said I was worried about that Death Eater?" She muttered as she began to ascend the steps.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
He strode throughout the busy London streets, jaw clenched and fists tightened.  
'How could this have happened? I honestly thought that she was...that she could have been the one...'   
He felt a strange sensation, a tightened burning in his eyes and then a cool, liquid trickle trailing down his cheeks.  
'I'm crying.' He stopped dead in his tracks.  
'I haven't cried in 14 years.'  
Suddenly, looking at the world around him, he saw it in a new light.  
He stood, gazing in wonder at this muggle world, the electronic billboards and giant tv screens.  
He shook his head.  
"I can't go back. Not now."  
A vision of his father, the man before the slave, the philosopher and gentleman flashed into his mind.  
"Never start anything you wouldn't finish. Remember that. You are a Malfoy."  
Suddenly Draco had a sense of where to go.   
"Taxi!"   
A blur pulled up abruptly.  
"Take me to Grand Central. And hurry."  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
It had taken them a night and a day but the toxins were finally all out of Masako's system. He was currently sleeping off the rest of the three days on a beanbag as he needed the rest. Hermione had gone home.  
Harry lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.  
What the fuck was going on? Malfoy had dropped Masako off, gone with Sirius to see to the door and never returned. He needed something to do.  
He growled and threw a tennis ball at the door in frustration. It made an empty thud that nobody noticed.   
  
The door swung open. Well, almost nobody.  
  
"You alright there, Harry?"  
Sirius's strange half-son.  
"Yeah, no worries." He waited for the door to close. The motion began, but was paused in half-action.  
"I'm going to Josh's now...did you wanna come with me to see Hermione?"  
Now there was an idea.  
"Yeah, sure. I'll be up in a second. Uhhh...ask Sirius what to do about Masako."  
The door half-shut as Daniel talked to Sirius in the background.  
Look at all the clouds making pretty pictures over the moon...  
"He says just leave him, should be ok with just Sirius here."  
"Ok. Let's go then." He rolled himself off the bed and got up as Daniel held the door open.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
It was now ten o'clock, pm. Draco stood on the edge of the roof, silently watching Daniel's car pull out of the Granger's driveway.  
This house he had been in, not five hours ago. When he picked up the pieces of his life, stuck them in an expensive silk bag and moved out. Homeless, nowhere to go. Said goodbye politely to Mr Granger as he shook his hand, kissed Angelina on the cheek and quietly gave Jacob a thick roll of banknotes to give to his parents and to buy himself a treat with. And walked out. Tried not to look back because he knew if he did, he'd see a heartbroken and confused little kitten watching from the stairs.  
  
He sat down, peering over the edge every now and again.  
Sighing, he withdrew a heavy package from a pocket over his heart.  
  
A glass book. Each page so delicate, yet so strong. Like a spider's web.  
From his coat pocket he withdrew an expensive looking letter printed on heavy parchment. His expression never changed as he read it.  
  
"Hermione Granger,  
  
Be careful with this book lest it break into shards  
And pierce that cold barrier that was once your heart  
No apology given, receptance would be blame  
Because I hear you mentally cursing every time you think of my name  
Everybody goes on about how love is so cliche  
But you took a risk and allowed me to partake in this game  
I epitomise my name now, cold and ruthless as I leave  
But one girl touched my heart and she'll always be special to me.  
  
-M.  
  
P/S Take care of Snowball please."  
  
Biting the inside of his cheek, he withdrew heavy vellum from his pocket and proceeded to carefully wrap the small glass book, engraved and traced and detailed all over with runes. As he completed the last fold of the vellum it disappeared, leaving a seamless case.  
"Granger una kei." He whispered, drawing a rune over the parchment. No sign appeared, showing that the key spell had been successful but he suddenly felt a slight weight in his hands that told him it was now enchanted. Nobody would be able to tell that hadn't been holding it before. He folded the parchment letter and bound it to the package before he sent it off on the wings of the night.  
"Wingardium Leviosa."  
And with that he stood, not wanting to see her face again and began to Apparate back to his hotel room.  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
"C'mon Harry, we're here." Startled out of his reverie by a cold gust of wind, Harry looked to the other side of the car to notice the door open and only a pair of pants visible as Daniel stood outside the car.  
"Oh." He slowly swung his door open and stepped out into the chilly night.   
The main door opened, letting warm light spill out and a figure stood on the porch.  
"You two coming in or what?" Josh asked mildly as he hopped from one leg to another.  
As they ascended onto the veranda Harry noticed that the reason for Josh's temperature drop may possibly have been the fact that he was only wearing a pair of boxers and some old socks. Plus the fact that he had a bowl of ice-cream in one hand, of course.  
"Thanks Josh."  
"Yeah mate it's bloody cold tonight, isn't it?" They asked as they stamped their feet on the doormat and trudged along on the wooden landing. Josh shrugged.  
"It's warm in here."  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
"It's absoloutely fucking freezing. I don't know what's wrong with this hotel. The thermostat must not be working." Damien shook his head to dislodge a few rogue snowflakes.  
"Probably not." Draco stood aside to let him in. He had no idea what a thermostat was.  
"Thanks."  
Draco remained silent.  
  
Once inside Damien made himself comfortable in one of the arm chairs.   
"Heat." Draco commanded, more or less. There was no fancy spellwork here, just a command, written in stone.  
The room became mildly bearable, then pleasantly warm.  
Damien nodded to himself, satisfied as he removed his heavy winter coat. Draco flopped into a chair and lounged elegantly.  
"So. What happened?"  
"Nothing happened."  
Damien narrowed his eyes.  
"There must have been something."  
Draco looked away.  
"No." Damien sighed.  
"Of course there was. C'mon Draco, it's me. Damien. Your cousin. We always used to talk, about everything. We used to play video games together."  
"What do you think I am, a child? It'll take more to open up than that."  
"Well how about this. I am _all_ you have left. I am, everything." Draco clenched his teeth. This wasn't how it should be.  
"This is wrong." He conjured a tiny dancing flame on his finger, and just watched the flame.  
"Suit yourself. I've got all night." Said Damien, leaning back as he apparated a hot chocolate from the bar.  
"All night and all day? And what if what I have to say takes weeks, months?"  
"It won't. But if it did, I'd sit here and listen. Listen Draco, what I said was wrong. It wasn't just I'm all you have left. It's....you're all I have left too."  
"Don't appeal to my heart, you forget I don't have one."  
Damien gave a half snort, half laugh.  
"Don't be stupid. If you didn't have a heart you wouldn't have fallen in love with a mudblood."  
He was lucky he didn't move. The ellipse of flame just missed his ear.   
"Don't ever judge me to have commited the same mistakes as you, cousin dear."  
  
There was a reflective silence.  
  
"They put Dragonbane in him."  
Damien nearly dropped his glass.  
"This Masako guy?"  
"Yes."  
"Geez. Christ....how the fuck did they get hold of that?"  
"As if I'd know."  
It was...different for Harry. He would never have been allowed into his father's potion shop to watch him brew lethal and dangerous concoctions. To be allowed to add ingredients. To actually take part in making Dragonbane. And to be subjected to it years later.  
Damien knew about Dragonbane because his father was the same way. But, not so well associated with Voldemort. But a philosopher and a gentleman. And of course, prone to dabbling in the Dark Arts.  
Damien also knew about Draco's time under the Dragonbane. He had been the one looking after him. He had to wear special clothing and be under a special spell so that whatever hallucinations Draco was going through wouldn't affect him, so Draco would never want to kill him. He would never have the stench of death, or the face of a corpse.   
Damien was clever. He got out while he was ahead.  
  
"I cried." Draco suddenly broke the silence.  
"Emotions are a funny thing."  
"I wish I didn't have them."  
"Even the memories? After all, a memory is really just an emotion with pictures."  
Draco frowned.  
"No, not the memories. I'm going to keep those memories till the day I die."  
"Perhaps you should say sorry?"  
"What for? It was time."  
"Time for what?"  
Draco gave a short laugh.  
"It's time to get up. Time to get dressed. Time to go."  
"But never time to say goodbye." To his horror and shame he felt that burning at the back of his eyes. He quickly stomped on it and watched his vision clear.  
"Fate has a funny way of deciding things."  
"Very funny. Ha ha." He laughed drolly.  
"You still have two weeks."  
"I still have my father to sort out."  
"Ahh. Well that one, come to me and I'll help you with it."  
"No, it's my family. My problem."  
"And am I not family?"  
They stood.  
Draco's mouth was dry.  
"No, you relinquished the Malfoy family a long time ago."  
Damien's piercing gaze watched him.  
"I gave it up. I never gave up my blood."  
They watched each other warily for a minute or so until Draco tore his eyes away.  
"Thank you for dropping in." He remarked smoothly.  
"Thank you for having me. You have my number?"  
"Of course."  
  
"I expect to see you before you return to school." Damien dis-apparated away.  
  
Slowly Draco went about his nightly routine. He brushed his teeth, cleared the plates away and turned down the sheets. As he gathered his clothing to change however, he paused once he had shut the door to the bathroom.  
He looked into the mirror. Examining himself. His eyes.  
He couldn't look away from his own eyes.   
He was a mess. His hair unbrushed and his eyes bloodshot and his skin dry. He needed a shave.  
His eyes flickered towards the broom hidden in the bath tub.  
Sighing and shaking his head, he got changed and switched off the lights, rustling the sheets as he climbed into bed.  
  
Draco fell asleep uneasily, to the sound of his own breathing.  
Something which hadn't been the loudest noise in a long time. Tomorrow would be a new day.  
And who knows if we'll ever last till the morrow. 


	12. Sentiments of Salt and Pepper

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
Chapter 11: Sentiments of Salt and Pepper (The Second Ring)  
  
"She says that she still wants a friendship  
  
She can't live her life without me as a friend  
  
I can't figure out why I give a damn to what she wants  
  
I don't understand the now before the then  
  
Most of this garbage I write that these people seem to like  
  
Is about you and how I let you infect my life..."  
  
-Atmosphere  
  
Harry had gone home after Hermione didn't display much joy at his appearance, leaving him confused and angry.  
  
Hermione herself sat inside her bedroom, staring at the tv with her mouth open. It was a bad habit she had. She often did this, while staring brainlessly at the bright, flickering animations running across the screen and letting her brain idle to the point of almost common intelligence. Yes, she looked and felt dumb while doing this, but the problem was that it was sooo hard to do something else while her favourite program blazed on the screen. Of course for legal reasons we are not allowed to mention what this program was on account of space available to be sued for advertising products without permission...but anyway.  
  
And there she was, happily watching her program and letting the mind-numbing depression slowly slosh inside her solar plexus until it felt like gravity felt to humans at about 90 years of age.  
  
And...there was a tapping at the window.  
  
She sat up quickly, then looked out the window. And paused, slowly letting her eyes idle over towards her desk because if it was Draco (cross your fingers and hope it's Draco, she prayed) then she didn't want to seem eager to meet him because of course it was his fault the stupid prat for walking out on her and did she deserve that while under manslaughter charges and an eternity of grounding, of course she didn't...but her fingers were getting sore from her balancing on them and her calves were cramping up, so reluctantly she allowed herself to slide off the bed and look out the window.  
  
Oh.  
  
There was an invisible owl out there.  
  
Hermione could see this invisible owl because of the visible package hovering in the air outside her window.  
  
Her hand reached out to open the window.  
  
And stopped.  
  
What if it was some kind of parcel from a Death Eater or Lord Voldemort or something?  
  
What if it was some kind of revenge from Draco?  
  
She hesitated and stepped back, slowly lowering herself before she fell on her ass on the edge of the bed.  
  
There was...that ring Draco gave her...she looked at it now, inconspicuous and subtly elegant on her finger.  
  
What could she do?  
  
She gave up, let curiousity overtake her and opened the window.  
  
__________________________________________________________  
  
"Ever since I was a young lad with a part-time dad  
  
It was hard to find happiness inside of what I had  
  
I studied my mother, I digested her pain  
  
And vowed no women on my path would have to walk the same..."  
  
-Atmosphere  
  
Draco was lonely as hell. The hotel room felt so dead, so cold and empty. The nymph he'd conjured up hadn't aroused anything but a strange craving for croissants and was now sulking on the bed and watching cable.   
  
Late checkout. So tomorrow he had to be out by eleven, at the latest. And then where was Draco going to go?  
  
He groaned and buried his head in his hands. Flinging a spell over his shoulder there was a shout of air as the nymph disintegrated into blue smoke.  
  
Always consequences. So many fucking consequences...if he had just kept his temper under control, just this once...he would have a place to stay.  
  
Could he go back?  
  
He could never go back.  
  
__________________________________________________________  
  
"(Yes, yes it is)  
  
And everyone in his life would mistake it as love  
  
Everyone in his life would mistake it as love  
  
Everyone in his life would mistake it as love"  
  
-Atmosphere  
  
___________________________________________________________   
  
'It's like two opposites that compliment and blend together.  
  
Like two blood...one pure, one dirty and yet they still bleed red.'  
  
Hermione turned the page delicately, face carefully controlled.  
  
When she had opened it she had bit her lip and didn't know whether to laugh, cry or sneer at this typically Malfoy show of wealth, pride and craftmanship. Yet the words and the action weren't quite the same. It was almost as if he was saying sorry...  
  
She gasped as her finger flipped the tissue away from the next page, revealing the snow-white etchings on the glass. It was her, her face, her portrait. An image of her asleep in rumpled bedsheets, Draco nowhere to be seen.   
  
"Is that really what I look like when I sleep?" Somehow she had pictured herself with her head back, mouth open, sinuses blaring...but somehow she almost looked angelic in this picture...probably just the way Malfoy wanted to remember her.  
  
Flip. Flip. Each glass page made a muffled 'blip' as it came into contact with the soft tissue between the previous page.   
  
"Ohhhhh...wow...it's beautiful..." There was a picture of a garden in brilliant colours, shining like swarovski crystal in the light of her lamp.   
  
'It hurts to watch Lucy lose a dream, I've had the pleasure of seeing our hero kick and scream,  
  
But when she calms down, I'll turn the sound down, and put my arms around the little lost and found...'  
  
Lucy? Not Lucy Balle...she sighed in relief when she realised that he didn't know Lucy and that he was probably quoting something pre-written.  
  
Now she couldn't help a few tears. Damn him. Damn him to high hell, to incinerate in the fiery pits of the Devil's anger. How dare he? How could he? She clenched her jaw and continued on.  
  
The rest of the book was full of small passages and quotes until the last page. There was a small black velvet bag in the back, attached to the glass page. Hands shaking, she opened it and bit her lip as it began to tremble, as the tears began to sting her eyes and assault her cheeks.  
  
Photos.   
  
The bastard. Muggle photos.  
  
Passport shots, the ones taken in the little shopping center cubicles. Her laughing madly with Draco, kissing him shyly on the cheek as he gazed smugly into the camera.  
  
Black and white shots of them in the playground, him pushing her on the swings. Deep in conversation.  
  
Photos of Hermione after she recovered in the hospital. She smirked to see Harry had been torn out.  
  
Photos of her, asleep in his bed with Snowflake curled up against her.  
  
A photo of her curled up to him in his bed.  
  
And last, but not least...a couple of final photos of Draco, looking so droolworthy that she just wanted to eat him. Back against the wall, in a steel-grey Armani shirt and black jeans, holding Snowflake in one hand. Gazing at the camera with those piercing eyes. Was it her imagination, or did he look almost sad?  
  
In the 'gryffindor' red and gold boxers, sprawled on the couch as he read...was that her diary???? Hermione squinted in disbelief. No...way...  
  
NO WAY!  
  
The jackass! Heat flushed her cheeks and made her clench her fists in anger.  
  
If she ever saw him again...  
  
The anger faded away to something resembling sadness. If..  
  
The final two photos made her smile and cry at the same time.  
  
Draco, shirtless, in his towel in the rain. She began to wonder how he'd got these photos taken, because she knew no one was home that day and she just couldn't picture him posing for it.  
  
And finally, Draco, in his high-collared Slytherin robes, one leg crossed over the other knee, his beloved broom across his lap. The memory caused a jolt. Oh my god. Two months until they began school again. It seemed so far away only yesterday!  
  
She bit her lip. She missed him so much. It would hurt seeing him at school, being treated by him like nothing but a disgraced house-elf. Being spat upon and made fun of by all the Slytherins again. She groaned. She was actually beginning not to want to go back to Hogwarts. I mean, don't get the wrong idea, she loved the school, and ordinarily she would not have EVER let some annoying _prat_ stop her! But when that annoying prat has your heart and your virginity...and your mind and every waking moment, it becomes a little more serious.  
  
As she went to put the photos back in the bag, they got stuck on something, they wouldn't go all the way back into the bag.  
  
She placed her hand in and carefully drew something out.  
  
At first it was just a few crocodile tears.  
  
Then her face scrunched up as she began to cry her heart out, big, shoulder-wracking sobs that made her face red and her body shiver from cold. Her nose was running and her eyes felt like they were bleeding salt, but she just couldn't stop.  
  
When she managed to calm down to choked sobs, she looked at it.  
  
A single platinum ring, with an intertwined rose around the band and a huge diamond in the middle of the rose. So elegantly detailed, modern yet ancient. And worth a fortune.  
  
And written inside the band.  
  
"I love you, don't ever fucking question that."  
  
What was she supposed to think? How the hell couldn't she question him...  
  
She slipped it on. A perfect fit. She crawled into her bed and hugged her pillow miserably. How dare he? How dare he make her feel this way, so weak and degraded? Make her miss him, the asshole. Make her love him. Make her cry.  
  
'No man is worth your tears, and the one that is will never make you cry.' Hah. Page 4. Now what was he trying to say? She felt like tearing the ring off and throwing it across the room.   
  
A meowing came from the door and somehow, Snowball managed to slip in, followed by Josh's puppy Kensington and the house cat, Puss-Puss.   
  
She smiled bitterly as Snowball leapt into bed and began to yowl and snuggle as close to possible to Hermione. Puss-Puss curled up at her feet, and the puppy stretched out by the bed.  
  
"You miss him too, hey?" Snowball mewled and pushed herself closer to Hermione.  
  
Two weeks. And then she'd have to see the smug bastard back at school, tormenting her. Ripping her heart up.  
  
Yeah, she just couldn't wait.  
  
___________________________________________________________________________  
  
"I love you, don't ever fucking question that, that's why we'll probably never get along.  
  
If I was better at finding the right words to say, I wouldn't need to write these motherfucking songs..."  
  
Checkout time. Draco glanced at his expensive silver Codex, the wizarding equivalent to a Rolex but with more entertaining (and possibly dangerous) features. James Bond? Pah, Draco lived a better life than him anyday. He sighed and hefted the almost empty canvas bag he was carrying for show. Well, not quite empty. His miniature belongings were all inside, as well as the muggle laptop which had simply _refused_ to shrink. Stupid thing. Stupid muggles.  
  
The lady at the reception desk beamed widely, reminding him somewhat of a fish. Or a chihuahua. Or possibly a horny manticore. Uh...not that he'd know.  
  
He scribbed a signature on the receipt, flipped his platinum credit card into his wallet and strode off in a mist of good smelling-ness.   
  
As he hailed a luxury limo down, he absently thought about Hermione.  
  
'Strange, how can I be so cheerful with a broken heart?' he asked himself. Perhaps it hadn't really been love. Now how to get over her?  
  
Ah, yes.  
  
"Driver, take me to East London's mall."  
  
"Uh...and which mall would that be, sir?"  
  
Draco bit his lip, he hadn't thought about that.  
  
"Well...it's kinda...shiny...and you know...er...glass and metal... It's near...a house. And a primary school. Well, not really..."  
  
The driver smiled.  
  
"You wouldn't mean the mall in Little Shakespeare?"  
  
'Little Shakespeare? What a stupid name for a town...'  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"Well how about I drive you there and we'll go from there?"  
  
Draco regained composure.  
  
"Yes. Now drive."  
  
______________________________________________________  
  
Ok, so it wasn't in Little Shakespeare, which was actually kind of a nice town, or 'suburb', as the driver explained.  
  
Nor was it in the next two towns.  
  
But they got it on the fourth.   
  
"Thank you. I shall call if I require your services. Now go." Draco tossed a wad of cash onto the seat and slid out of the Jaguar.  
  
"Wow. Uh...I mean...thanks...sir..." The limo driver managed to spit out. But Draco had already gone.  
  
_______________________________________________________  
  
"Whatever can I do?" He mused as he stood in front of the shopping center. He began the ascension towards the second level.  
  
"I don't quite want to go home yet. Although I most likely should. And do something about father. Where do my loyalties lie?" he glanced absently at a group of girls going down the opposite escalator who swooned.  
  
"Mudblood. She's too angry at me. I guess things shall just have to go back to the way they were. I, the cold callous bastard, and she, the small, nerdy inconsequential bookworm." But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of the heavy, depressed feeling deep in his heart.  
  
'I don't love her. I can't.'  
  
"And I don't have a place to stay." he muttered.  
  
"Hmmm. Perhaps..." He veered off course into a real-estate agency shop.  
  
(A/N. Stop? Continue? Ohhhhhhhh well....can't be bothered listing another pointless chapter...)  
  
*cut and pastes, so don't yell!*  
  
________________________________________________________  
  
[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
CHAPTER 12: Unexpected Reunion  
  
-this one's keeping it short, peeps, lol-  
  
Draco gazed at the houses available in the window.  
  
He shuddered.  
  
"Eww...they want me to pay how much for _that_?"  
  
He bit his lip. Perhaps the idea was a bit absurd.  
  
Another real estate agency, perhaps? Yes, the concept was sound. A possibility. Perhaps the only one.  
  
He suddenly felt rather lost, and quite lonely.  
  
"This is what it feels like without Granger, huh?"  
  
Suddenly he frowned.  
  
"I should have never come to this miserable place." he hissed, stalking away from the shop (and it's admiring receptionist inside) abruptly.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
Filthy muggle urinals.  
  
The door slammed open. A rather well built boy strode in and looked around.  
  
"Nah, no one's in here, just some toff who can't figure out whether or not to take a pee."  
  
A toff?  
  
Draco sneered.  
  
"I advise you don't. They are diseased, after all." Another boy strode in. Draco almost liked the look of this boy.  
  
Until he heard struggling as the door flew open again.  
  
"Leave me alone!" The person was silenced around the other side of the wall with a sickening crack.  
  
Where had he heard... Jacob??  
  
"Uhh...why don't you leave?" The second boy, who looked like an absoloute pep gave him a wink and held out a hand.  
  
Draco looked at it in disgust.  
  
"Are you trying to offer me money?" He drew himself up to his full height. Standing straight, he suddenly towered over these young, barely adolescent boys.  
  
"Do you know who I am?"  
  
The second boys face turned ugly.  
  
"Well, if you're not going to take the money then leave. You're outnumbered, and we have business to take care of."  
  
Draco sneered at him.  
  
"Jacob?" He called, never taking his eyes off the wise-ass little boy in front of him.  
  
The muttering from the other side of the wall stopped.  
  
"D...Draco?"  
  
"What do these boys want with you?"  
  
The boy in front of him stepped forward.  
  
"Draco? What kind of name is that? What we want, is for you to-"  
  
He never finished his sentence.  
  
"Do I look as if I care what you want, you pathetic pile of shit?" Draco hoisted him by the collar, eyes diamond-hard as he slammed the boy against the wall of a cubicle.  
  
"And don't you even think of starting, or I'll have your neck too." he muttered over his shoulder to the first boy who had entered.  
  
"Now Jacob, tell me what these faggots want with you." He raised his voice.  
  
"N...nothing Draco. We're fine. Uh...you can go now." Jacob's voice didn't sound steady enough to assure Draco.  
  
"Jacob." The tone was warning.  
  
"Oh yea, 'Mione misses you. Errr...I think you should really go now."  
  
"No."  
  
Draco put his face in front of his captive and lowered his voice.  
  
"Shall I beat you senseless? Or send you to a hospital. Perhaps...kill you. Or torture you."  
  
The prep was quickly becoming worried that this guy was a nut. One of them creepy gothic types or something. He looked like a vampire...  
  
"I'm going to put you down. Then I'm going to walk out of here with Jacob. The absoloute _moment_, the very _second_ I hear anything, anything at _all_ has happened to him, I will hunt all of you down and hurt you. And I'll bring my friends. And then they'll kill you, slowly. Painfully."  
  
The guy he was holding would be very bored at this point if not for the wild, beast-like look in Draco's eyes that told him that this guy was very probably telling the truth.  
  
And just as he was about to spit in Draco's face, Draco's eyes changed colour.  
  
They faded from their normal steel-grey to a pale silver, almost white before abruptly becoming a primal yellow.  
  
The boy felt a world of fear. This guy was crazy. He was absoloutely insane. He wanted to eat him, or kill him...he was animalistic...this guy was barely holding onto humanity...  
  
The silence was broken by a trickling onto the tiled bathroom floor.  
  
"Do you understand me?"  
  
The eyes were back to their normal colour now. Dumbly, he nodded.  
  
"Good. And Draco, for your information, is a name only ever given to _purebloods_. Unlike you, you filthy little gutter breed."  
  
He was thrown bodily against a urinal, colliding with the first boy and knocking him over.  
  
"Let's go Jacob." He turned the corner to see Jacob held between two larger boys who didn't say a word as Draco motioned for Jacob to follow him.   
  
Jacob, though shaken clearly hadn't been hurt extensively. Yet.  
  
_______________________________________________  
  
"You shouldn't have done that. They're going to be worse now." Jacob muttered quietly.  
  
"No they won't." Draco replied, a smirk on his face.  
  
"Yeah, right." Jacob snorted. Then his face slowly slid into a smile.  
  
"You made Thomas wet himself!" he began to laugh.  
  
Draco paused and watched him for a moment. He was so like Hermione.  
  
Then he began to chuckle.  
  
"Yeah, I did, didn't I? Come on. Let's go get something to eat."  
  
Jacob paused, the smile fading.  
  
"I really should be getting home." He hoisted the straps of his bag.  
  
"Oh. Ok." Home. He knew where that was. He knew how it felt and he missed it so much.  
  
Jacob cocked his head and pulled a funny face.  
  
"But...if you're insisting on paying...I'd like to catch up..." He smiled shyly.  
  
Draco paused.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like that."  
  
_______________________________________________  
  
"So...why didn't you use magic and blast them? *Kapow! Zap! Wham!*" Jacob chattered animatedly, making hand gestures to accompany his wonderful sound effects. Draco watched the kid. This was the first time he'd ever seen him this animated. He only seemed to come alive on the subject of magic...poor kid.  
  
"Uh...it's not that easy Jacob. There's a special government in place that prevents us from doing things like that, no matter how fun it is." Not that Death Eaters really pay attention though, isn't it? Draco thought.  
  
Jacob's face fell.  
  
"Awww, that's no fun. Still, I guess it makes sense. I just think...that the whole idea of all our lives, our lifestyles and our cash being put in the hands of a group of people we don't even know is a bit...well, crap, don't you think?" He restored the salt and pepper shakers he had been knocking over as the waitress gave him a dirty look.  
  
Draco was stunned, at a loss for words.  
  
'This kid...is soooo smart.'  
  
"Who told you that?" Jacob gave him a dead flat look.  
  
"Nobody told me." He rolled his eyes. "Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm stupid, you know."   
  
Draco's eyebrows almost lifted of their own accord but somehow he mustered enough control to keep his face calm.  
  
"Well Jacob, you're anything but. You're a very intelligent boy."  
  
Jacob smiled cockily.  
  
"Yeah I know. I've been studying. I wanna get into Hogwarts!"  
  
Draco blinked in surprise.  
  
"Jacob, are you telling me that you can do magic?"  
  
The boy scrunched up his face.  
  
"Nah, not really. Only a little bit. I hope 'Mione's gonna help me though. When she's finished being upset and all."  
  
This bit of information tugged at Draco's conscience.  
  
"Upset?"  
  
"Yeah." Jacob giggled.  
  
"I think she misses you." Draco chewed the inside of his mouth to prevent himself from reacting. He needn't have bothered, however because Jacob got distracted by a group of girls walking past. They all looked over, looked away and then doubled back to look at Draco. They seemed shocked to see Jacob with him.  
  
"Hah. They're going to want to be my friends when I go back to school on Monday." He muttered sourly.  
  
Draco didn't say anything, as he had food in his mouth. However, he motioned for Jacob to continue.  
  
"See that one, that's pretty? The one with the long brown hair?"  
  
Draco nodded slightly.  
  
"Yeah, well she used to be my best friend. I've known her since we were like...waaaaaaaaaay little. But then she became popular and now she's like...Miss Thing..." He shuddered.  
  
Draco snorted.  
  
"And now they're all going to suck up because they saw me with you. You're kinda pretty, you know."   
  
Draco stared.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"No, I'm not like...you know, or anything. But...you look...pretty. Like a girl."  
  
Draco blinked. To be offended, or not to be?   
  
"Oh. I guess...well...I never...um...What are you trying to say???" He frowned suspiciously.   
  
Jacob laughed.  
  
"Nevermind. But anyway. Yeah. They're not nice girls. Don't talk to them."  
  
Draco felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile.  
  
"Uh...don't worry, I won't...they're a bit too young for me anyway."  
  
"Yeah, I agree. You're kinda old."  
  
Now Draco was flabbergasted.  
  
"But anyway," Josh continued on "...do you miss 'Mione?" He asked with a sly grin.  
  
'Old? OLD? OLD?????' Draco's mind was screaming at him.  
  
Part of him wanted to hex this cheeky kid, the other wanted to ruffle his hair.  
  
He wasn't being rude...just...saying what he thought...it was the innocence. Stupid innocence.  
  
"Huh? Uh...that's none of your business, Jacob."  
  
"Of course it is. So...do you?"  
  
Draco slouched back in his chair. Jacob reached across and helped himself to Draco's chips.  
  
How could he explain it?  
  
"You're going to tell her everything I say, won't you?"  
  
Jacob pulled a thoughtful face.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure. She might start crying again, which means less magic time study, or she might get angry I talked to you and bite my head off. But then again, she might not care."  
  
Draco's eyes narrowed at the last bit.  
  
Hmm...  
  
"Here. This is my cousin Damien's telephone number. If she needs to contact me, or wishes to talk tell her to call him. He'll be able to find me." he pushed a slip of paper towards Jacob who took it without looking and shoved it in his pocket.  
  
"And now...I've got to go." Draco stood to move. Jacob considered him. It was an awkward moment.  
  
"You have nowhere to go. Why don't you come back to our house?"  
  
"I couldn't impose."  
  
"Oh come on. I know something fishy's going on, otherwise you wouldn't be lurking around the mall. Just come home with me! Everyone will be glad to see you, mum was so upset the night you left." Draco felt a twinge of guilt which he quickly stomped into oblivion. Had he become so attached to this muggle family?  
  
He hesitated, but shook his head.  
  
"Oh, alright. If you really don't want to stay in the house, at least come stay in my treehouse. Then at least I know you're safe."  
  
Again, Draco was surprised at the hindsight this boy was showing. Not even twelve, he mused.  
  
"You have a treehouse?" He never really had the chance to explore the backyard.  
  
"Yeah." Jacob's eyes lit up.   
  
"Come on, it'll be just like the books! I can sneak you food out and stuff!"  
  
Draco gave him a wry smile.  
  
"Not quite like the books. I'm not a cute little doggy you have to hide from your parents, Jacob."  
  
"Aw come on, it's a little run down, but it's better than nothing."  
  
And that is how Draco Evares Malfoy, with more than two hundred thousand galleons in his bank account, ended up spending the night in a dilapidated hut made from corrugated iron sheets and leftover wood.  
  
"I brought you something!" Draco perked up. A bright light appeared, followed by Jacob's head as he climbed into the little hut through a hole in the floor.  
  
"Here you go. Katrina made extra by accident, wasn't that lucky? So now we all got to eat proper portions!" He slid a backpack off his shoulder and began to take tupperware container after tupperware container from it.   
  
"There's some steak, some mashed potato and some trifle." He aligned the tubs neatly.  
  
There was a mewling.  
  
"Oh, and I brought you a special friend." Jacob smiled shyly as he lifted Snowball out of his pocket who yowled loudly and pleasurably as she bounded across to Draco, rubbing her head against him. She strutted delightedly, slipping in his lap as she tried to clamber up his body to lick his face.  
  
Jacob knew that Draco would never admit it, but he could see he was touched.  
  
"Hey girl...has that silly 'Mione been treating you ok?" The cat mewled and headbutted his chest affectionately.  
  
"Thanks Jacob...thanks for everything..." Jacob didn't say anything, but smiled.  
  
"Sorry, mum wouldn't let me bring extra quilts out in case i got them dirty, but i managed to bring a sleeping bag." He grinned.  
  
Draco smiled back, feeling guilty, remembering that he could have just magicked more quilts from the Manor.  
  
"Jacob, I owe you." And that's not something you'll hear a Malfoy say everyday, he thought in his head.  
  
"Nah, don't worry about it! Anyway, I gotta go. Mum stresses if I stay out here without telling. Anyway. You're lucky, it's Dream night tonight. Look at the stars." Jacob motioned towards the window opposite where they were sitting. Sure enough, there was a brilliant sea of stars, a glittering mass of diamonds hung against the bluish purple velvet of the sky.  
  
"Wow." Draco's breath was taken away.  
  
"This is nothing! You wait till midnight...that's when they really get spectacular. They cover nearly every inch of the sky...you don't even need a light! It only happens once a month though." He pulled a face.  
  
"Anyway, I really gotta go now. 'Mione-bear's calling me."  
  
Sure enough, a faint female voice was heard in the not-too-far-off distance. Draco bit his lip.  
  
"You got everything you need?"  
  
"More than enough." Draco smiled back.  
  
"Alright. Night Draco!" Jacob yawned, waving sleepily.  
  
"Night."  
  
It was the first time he had said 'Night' to someone outside the family since he was four years old.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
It was almost midnight, and Draco couldn't sleep. Was Hermione looking out the window?  
  
Hour by hour, he had steadily watched the sky increase in brilliance. It was magnificence defined.  
  
If he had the power he would take the stars from the sky to hold in his hand.  
  
He lay in the bed, which was surprisingly comfortable and gazed out the window as the sky blazed afire with stars.   
  
"Hermione." Her name made his voice dry, his lips parched with inflamed heat. His throat felt like a desert.  
  
He would never sleep.  
  
"Fuck you Lucy, for not needing me, I wanna say fuck you, because I still love you, no I'm not okay, and I don't know what to do..."  
  
-Atmosphere  
  
_________________________________________________________________________________  
  
A/N omg ok spent like 6 hours reading HP5...finally completed it!!!  
  
I have to say..it wasn't as enthralling as the other ones...BUT J.K Rowling is a brilliant writer and i think it was absoloutely amazing the way she turned it into a mind play kind of thing....kind of reminded me of Star Wars Jedi Mind Tricks kind of thing... I liked that!!!!  
  
REVIEWS  
  
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V  
  
if you written to me, it's likely here!  
  
Ok...got lost with the reviews... o.0 So if I write to you twice...just pick whicheva one u like betta!!  
  
BellethePhilosopher'sCookie  
  
Ewww... aren't Philosopher's supposed to be crazy old men? hehheh just joking! :D hahha yea i dunno...felt like a bit of shounen ai...so decided to throw it in...but it seems no one really read it through, they got to where Draco kisses Harry and just though "Whoa, ok, that's enough!" but the dialoguey bit after that scene is kinda important...well no not really...but suspenseful, and makes the whole package much more attractive!  
  
(sorry to give reader's false hopes, hahaha)  
  
Dracootjuh  
  
Nice nick! LOL heheh well I did continue! You're welcome, you're welcome!  
  
Gliniel de Silva Malfoy+Wood  
  
Yea, dat's right! Heheheh written specially for you! Now please review! Heheh  
  
Nah just joking..yes...it is supposed to have a plot...which i will get around to...eventually...most likely after this chapter... :S heheh  
  
Serenity  
  
Hahhah sorry, but it's a bit boring at the moment, just Hermione having sookies and Draco being almost...well...kind...*pulls disgusted face* Nevermind, I'll figure out someway to get him back to his lovely despicable self soon! And there will be a chat with Masako soon...though i can't promise anything...I'm not quite sure if this story has a plot... :S heheh just LOADS OF WAFF!!!!  
  
clover  
  
Poem? Ok...the snakes tearing through my veins thing...nope, but the bit about...the cutting and the moon and blood and stars and stuff, yeah...twas me... :D  
  
Mogget  
  
Hhahaha Kingdom Hearts...I love Utada Hikaru...is Kingdom Hearts good? LOL thanks! yea...poor masako...*abducts him and runs off to get married with him*  
  
TriGemini  
  
hahha...omg I'm laughing alot... :S Should really not do that so often... :S heheh neway yeah it's a great song! Ummmm yes...so there was a plot, but Sila has lost it once again...and made her way back into the WAFF and angst pile yet again...but hopefully! Soon my pretties, soon! *cackles*  
  
Lexy  
  
Hehhe well here is more...  
  
Purple Spotted Hedwig  
  
Now if that isn't cool, I really don't know what is...   
  
Hey...I didn't think the fifth book was that amusing...hahah except Fred and Gorge...I want to marry them! *abducts and runs off with* Oh sorri, u didn't mention it in your review...well...uh...ok....:D ignore me! Heheh so who else's thumbs did you borrow? You evil evil thumb-stealer! Heheh I try to develop the characters...unfortunately they seem to just want to do very stupid things sometimes...in fact, i didn't even plan this chapter, or the next one.  
  
What am I saying? I'm blabbering...I didn't plan _any_ of the chapters...hahah :S  
  
blackdragonofdeath13  
  
:D heheh well...there's a possibilty...but then I have a _really really_ short attention span....so....we'll cross our fingers!! And hope I finish it! :D heheh  
  
Dreaming One  
  
ANGST! *wails* I feel it too often.. :S heheh it's starting to taste like fried bok choy and peanuts. Ahem...anyway...heheh my characterization? I wish... *blushes* *giggles* To get the secrets...you're going to have to keep reading! And I warn...chapters may be unpredictable depending on the mood I'm in and what undies I'm wearing... :S hehehe!  
  
Leika Senara  
  
Why sank you!!!! *hugz* Unfortunately I have to stop today because I'm in a stupid mood and when I'm in a stupid mood...well, let's just say stories like "Snape goes to Tellytubbyland..." (a.k.a Can you Handle Reality?) are born...  
  
THAT'S ALL FOLKS!  
  
Tune in next time for more wonderful...um....pages of writing! ;)  
  
XOXO  
  
Sila 


	13. The Morning After

[BeLieVinG iN YoU]  
  
CHAPTER 12: The Morning After  
  
//DEDICATED to Artemis MoonClaw for reviewing nearly every single one of my HP fanfics, LOLs...and BellethePhilosopher'sCookie for reviewing some too! Oh yea...this chappies plotless too, but I promise it won't be plotless soon!//  
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
I woke up, eyes puffy and resoloutions gone. I was so confused, so lost, in between the somewhere and the now, the dialogue blurred. Could I carry on? I wasn't sure. Draco Malfoy. Nothing deeper. No hidden subtext.   
  
::A lust, a relationship. A love. A hot water bottle through the winter.::  
  
If he had the fire in his veins, if he had yelled at me, I would have gladly let myself get burnt.   
  
But instead I was caressed by the ice, I slept, entwined with snow. And it followed nature and melted away, without a trace, leaving me only cold and with a sense of loss. Damn him for not feeling. Damn me for feeling too much.  
  
I lie in bed, with Kensington curled on the rug near my fireplace, the cats entangled in the folds of my blanket, staring up at the roof.  
  
Last night was Dream night. The skies glow with stars, hanging like a fishing net in the sky which had a full catch. It's like all the galaxies come to outside my window, to hover outside in the indigo sky.  
  
The folks in these parts have a little tale, that whoever you go to sleep and think about on Dream Night will come to you in your dreams. It's been exaggerated, of course, many a girl has claimed that her dream lover has visited her, leaving her to wake up miraculously pregnant the next day. They often end up marrying 'the man of their "dreams".' I call it lucky timing and blame it on superstition causing people to become silly and gullible. My parents would never allow it.  
  
Of course I dreamt of Draco last night. I've dreamt about him nearly every night since he left.  
  
But this dream...he was so close, right within my grasp, and I just couldn't reach him. I kept stretching out, and he always extended his arm, but we never managed to reach each other. And then, just as I was about to give up...our fingers brushed...  
  
I woke up.  
  
And nothing's felt as real since then.  
  
So, now I force myself out of bed, to shuffle down the hallway to the bathroom so I can brush my teeth. How I hate morning breath.  
  
The real story of Dream Night? It's the one night in this damned cold English winter where in our parts young people sneak out to dance under the stars, to hang out, converse...sometimes it even allows forbidden love a chance. It's magical, it puts us all in a trance. Even the thieves stay in on Dream Night, the bums in the park get lucky as young picnickers leave their food behind, forgotten. Parents watch wistfully from their warm parlours and reminisce on their past escapades. It all started before I became a witch, although not before I was born. Dream Night is the one safe night for all to be out late, because no harm can come to you in this neighbourhood while the sky is lit.  
  
Rinse and spit.  
  
I can't help but wonder where Draco was this Dream Night. Was he close enough to see it? Or perhaps he was in the cities, where it's impossible to tell that it's even occurring.  
  
Not that I would care...  
  
There was banging at the door.  
  
"'Mione, hurry up! I'm going to be late as hell for classes!" Josh pounded on the door.  
  
I sigh. I guess my hair will just have to wait till later. I throw open the door just as Josh is about to pound on it again and walk past my dopey older brother.  
  
"Morning..." I mumble groggily.  
  
"Yeah, morning." He rushes into the bathroom. I really don't undertand how boys can wear just socks and boxers in the middle of winter...he must be freezing!  
  
The door slams just as I've barely left the bathroom...silly twat.  
  
________________________________________________________  
  
"Mione, how are you?" Mother's sitting at the table, drinking her tea over the paper and Dad's making breakfast for us all. Jacob's already in his school uniform, eating his cereal.  
  
There's something happy about Jacob today. Well, whatever it is, it makes me happy too. For once.  
  
"Morning Mother, Father. Morning, runt." I push Jacob's head and he protests loudly.  
  
"Muuuuum!" Mum ignores us both.  
  
The house seems strange, like it's been years since it was this way. I guess it really has. Today there are no strangers, no Draco lurking around the house, no Daniel half-dressed trying to find a clean shirt of Josh's. No....anything, really. It feels so empty...like it's really just an echo of the past, some stupid wizard construction pretending to be my family, pretending to be real.  
  
"Where's Katrina? I hardly ever see her anymore." I asked mother as I pulled up a chair.  
  
"Yes, well you've been slightly occupied these holidays, haven't you dear? You need a haircut." She beckons me over to tug at my hair.   
  
"Well, at least no split ends." She sighs. No thanks to Draco and his bloody-minded makeover, I thought.  
  
Stupid git.  
  
"How are things, Mione?" Dad brings over a plate of buttered toast for mam and himself, a piece of which I steal subtly.  
  
"Ok, I guess." I know he wants to ask me about Draco, but he won't bring it up. I can see it in his eyes, that questioning, curious look, but he won't say anything, not unless I bring it up.  
  
"Harry and Ron well, then? Ah! Jacob, eat your cereal!" He admonishes as he helps himself to the business section of the newspaper, which mother doesn't protest to. I poke my tongue out at Jacob. Ha ha.  
  
"Ok, I think. I haven't seen Ron, I hope I do before the end of the holidays. And I'll probably go see Harry today." He nodded.  
  
Suddenly Jacob stood up, ran over to the sink and clattered his spoon and bowl in noisily.  
  
"Be back in a minute!"  
  
I shrug it off as something he's forgotten and begin to recount the recent muggle news with mother.  
  
_________________________________________________  
  
"Draco?" Jacob whispered.  
  
"Draco!" Draco's eyes flicked open immediately. He registered the voice and sighed in relief.  
  
"Oh, hey there Jacob. Have a good time last night?" Jacob nodded.  
  
"Are you going to be here tonight?" He asked.  
  
Draco could only shrug.  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
It's not likely.  
  
Jacob emerged fully into the treehouse and sat on the floor cross-legged.  
  
"What is it?" Draco stretched elegantly and yawned, swinging his legs off the bed to reveal his bare torso and yesterday's pants.  
  
"I don't wanna go to school." Jacob whispered sullenly.  
  
"Mm." Was all that Draco said finally.  
  
Then the old Draco Malfoy smirk crept upon his lips. How he had missed that smirk, it's delightfully familiar movements caressing his lips.  
  
"Why don't I come with you, Jacob?"  
  
Jacob looked at him dubiously.  
  
"You can't, there's laws against that."  
  
"Against what?"  
  
"Tresspass and stuff." Draco didn't understand why he couldn't tresspass on the grounds of a lowly school...  
  
"You know...like how them evil Death men aren't allowed onto your school grounds?" Jacob asked him. Draco's expression became wary.  
  
Jacob shrugged.  
  
"I read the Daily Prophets that Hermione always throws out. She refuses to read them, but I think they're entertaining, albeit not likely to be true."  
  
Once again, Jacob had proved a most lovely surprise.  
  
"So...I'm not allowed onto your school grounds?"  
  
"Not without a visitor sticker, and you need a reason to get one of those. It's like...if Death Eater's went onto your school grounds they could get held for trial or killed or whatever. If you come to our school you can get sued."  
  
"Sue?"  
  
"Money battle. Duelling, but with sentences, not wands."  
  
Draco grinned.  
  
"But have they written laws against invisible people?"  
  
Jacob frowned.  
  
"Naw, I guess not..."   
  
"Well there you have it Jacob, it's sorted, now run along and I'll meet you out the front in fifteen.  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hermione watched her brother strangely as he got in the car, and sat right next to her. He paused for about two or three minutes before leaning over to shut the door.  
  
"Jacob, why aren't you sitting on the other side?"  
  
He shrugged, but there was a little smile on his face.  
  
And on top of it, she could smell something fishy...  
  
Make that rich. Something slimy and rich, and it smelt an awful lot like CK1.  
  
An awful lot like that bastard Draco, she realised as she sniffed the wafting odor of CK1 drifting through the car.  
  
She glared suspiciously at Jacob who was busy playing snake on their mother's mobile phone.  
  
No way. It could not be, Hermione. She told herself.  
  
So she ignored it, and ignored the drifting scent that teased her nostrils tantalisingly.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________  
  
He could see her from here, beneath the silky finish of the invisibility cloak. A muted pattern of green and blue fractals hung over his eyes and clung to her features in the muted grey light of the overcast sky above.  
  
He was just being dramatic again.   
  
He knew he had to sit still, because if he moved she would see the ripple of the air.  
  
She sensed something, he knew it. He almost died when she looked straight at him, eyes narrowed.   
  
He closed his eyes.  
  
The music swirled around him, abruptly coming into focus as if Mrs Granger had changed stations.  
  
And as if reading his mind...  
  
"I close my eyes....and voice my fears..."  
  
Hermione looked outside the window. She didn't sing, but he could see her lips mouth the words quietly. Strangely enough he missed those lips. Honeyed, the taste of girlish lip gloss flooded his mouth.  
  
The song was beginning to annoy him. It was so depressing and sad, and it was making him feel bad.  
  
It had absoloutely no relevance to the relationship between himself and the Mudblood, yet it somehow managed to encompass all meaning, of all relationships gone wrong in the world.  
  
Stupid muggles.  
  
And here we were. The car pulled up, Jacob leaning over him to open the door and waiting for Draco to get out. Then he turned, and unexpectedly patted Hermione's shoulder.   
  
"Cheer up sis." And he was gone, leaving a puzzled Hermione with a scrap of paper on her lap.  
  
_________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Hermione thanked her mother for the lift, left the car, number scrawled on the scrap of napkin hastily shoved in the back of her jeans, forgotten.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the door and raised her hand to knock. Just as her knuckles were about to come into contact with the door, someone opened the door, quietly backed out of the doorway and went to shut the door, banging into her.  
  
Daniel straightened and turned to face her.  
  
"Oh! 'Mione, it's you!"  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Can I go in?" Daniel nodded, putting a finger to his lips.  
  
"Shush, they're all still sleeping." She nodded and slipped inside, the sound of his keys locking the door behind her.  
  
She tiptoed past Sirius, stretched out on the couch and busied herself in the kitchen, making breakfast.  
  
It became some time before she was aware of someone watching her.  
  
She whirled around, frypan at the ready.  
  
"Morning Harry." She spoke quietly, voice hushed.  
  
"What are you doing here?" He frowned, and although his voice wasn't hostile it definitely wasn't warm and welcoming.  
  
"I...Oh, Harry I'm sorry for last night, it was just I was tired...and Malfoy...and..." distraught, she ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
Harry had been nodding and looking tiredly accepting up until that point, when an unfortunate amount of light reflected off the ring on her hand.  
  
"Where'd you get that from?" He asked, indicating the brightly glittering band on her left hand.  
  
"This?" Hermione asked, nervously twisting it. He nodded.  
  
"Oh...er...my mother got it for me." She said weakly.  
  
"May I see?"   
  
"Errr...sure, why not." She held out her hand for him to look at.  
  
"It's beautiful." He smiled.  
  
Inside her stomach turned.  
  
"It is, isn't it?" She lied.  
  
Luckily, before the conversation could depreciate any further, Sirius appeared, tired and stretching in the doorframe.  
  
"Is that pancakes I smell?" He asked, looking mischieviously delighted.  
  
"It sure is! Oh!" Hermione rushed back to the stove.  
  
____________________________________________________________  
  
They sat around the bed, anxiously, nervously waiting for the man on the floor to awaken.   
  
Hermione shook the foggy mists from her mind and looked at Masako, the cogs and gears gliding and whirling slowly as the old memories of that time, that period before Hogwarts began to replay like an old film reel.  
  
He had always been beautiful.  
  
She looked down at him now, he looked weak, underfed. His hair and beard was matted, the cartiledge of his ears scarred where earrings had been ripped out, giving him the appearance of an old battle-veteran alley cat.  
  
She bit her lip. She remembered when they had been back in school, Masako had pulled up to the school to pick her and Yuri up. As Yuri scrambled in and hugged Masako, her hair had caught on his ear, causing him to wince and growl as they attempted to distangle the hair from the studs in his ear. It had been so funny at the time.  
  
Masako used to carry a fortune on his ears, diamond studs that glittered like stars in the dark. A smile brushed Hermione's lips...then she shook her head. He was wearing iron rings now.  
  
Here they were, waiting for the man to awaken, and all she could think about was his ears?  
  
She laughed quietly, as the red numbers of Harry's clock clicked to 9:47 am. Minutes passed like years as they sat silent in the room, waiting, watching, breathing quietly.  
  
Actually, that's a lie...Sirius was breathing quite loudly, and she sent him a glare for it.   
  
Just as he opened his mouth to reciprocate, Masako's eyes snapped open and he began to wheeze and gasp for air. His body bucked and spasmed.  
  
"Ohmygod!" Hermione gasped.  
  
'Oh if only Draco was here, he'd know what to do...ohmigosh...where is Draco...we need Draco...' Her mind muttered to her fervently.  
  
"Hermione, hold him!" Sirius shouted.  
  
It was just like a movie, only no music to dictate what she should feel.   
  
Bracing herself, she knelt on the floor and grasped Masako's shoulders with one arm, stroking his face with her other hand.  
  
He calmed down immediately, and his eyes closed.   
  
"Sank you...Sank you..." He sighed in relief as Sirius tipped a glass of water to his lips.  
  
"Untie him, Harry." Sirius motioned, and Harry knelt and quickly untied the knots.  
  
Masako sat up, massaging his sore wrists.  
  
"Ugh...I don't feer too weru..." He looked around wildly, and Harry pointed out the en suite, which Masako stumbled and crawled to, hand over his mouth.  
  
Sirius and Harry winced at the sounds of retching coming from the toilet.  
  
Hermione buried her head in her hands.  
  
After the never-ending torrent seemed to have ended, Masako slowly stood, and flushed the toilet.  
  
He dragged himself over to the basin, and stared at his reflection in the mirror, palms down on the counter, supporting him.  
  
A wild-man looked back at him.  
  
He continued to stare as a lovely woman of about seventeen, eighteen appeared in the doorway behind him, and stared at him in the mirror.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" His voice was gruff. The girl seemed familiar, but he couldn't recognise her.  
  
"Masako...Yuri says to say that Tetsuo and Kimura have passed on." She gently bit her bottom lip as his grip tightened on the basin. He whirled to face her.  
  
"Who are you? How do you know of Yuri?" His eyes were wide and blazing with anger, the colour of molten gold and chocolate. The white glaringly obvious against the dirt colour of his skin.  
  
"It's...It's me, Hermione. Hermione Granger."  
  
The name rung a bell, somewhere in the deep depths of the past.  
  
A small girl, a permanent double of Yuri, always attached. Yuri's best friend...  
  
He had missed her when she had gone away. Little Hermione. Even the hazes of drugs couldn't make him forget the past.  
  
She'd grown up somewhat. His grip on the basin slackened and fell away.  
  
"Herumane." He whispered, his special name for her. And she smiled.  
  
"Yea, Masako-kun, it's me." He gave her a weak grin and stumbled forward into her caring embrace.  
  
__________________________________________________________  
  
"Little Jacob Granger. Just who I wanted to see." The voice was dripping with menace.  
  
"Oh shit." Jacob muttered.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes. It was the playground bully, wa-hey...  
  
"What, no ponce to defend you now? Poor Jacob, you're going to be very sorry..." The voice enclosed in. Where Draco would have said it, it would have sounded silky and dangerous. Where this...this mere _boy_, his mind spat, said it, it sounded merely like a dogs chew toy. Squeaky. He sounded like a right little prat, down to his sneer and swagger.  
  
Realisation hit Draco like a cruciatius curse. He was an exact duplicate of Draco at that age. Except smaller, whinier and much more annoying, because Draco was sure he didn't have a thing to his name. And Draco was sure that this little prat wouldn't be running to his daddy for everything. And ugly brown hair, of course.  
  
Luckily, Draco had grown into his sneer, and his swagger became a cat-like gait that many admired and none could accomplish successfully. Wait a minute, ponce? His eyes narrowed.  
  
"Sorry for what? You've got what, two broken ribs and a black eye and you want to make me sorry? I say, that's rather unsporting, isn't it?" Jacob defended himself admirably.  
  
The little prat sneered.  
  
"Go for him." At that moment, something shimmered in the air and the little prat, also known as Phillip Turner the Fourth (or Poopsies by his mother) was lifted bodily into the air and thrown off his supporting crutches.  
  
His four goons looked at Jacob worriedly and began to slowly and innocently meander away.  
  
Jacob winked at the air, hoping that it was in Draco's general direction.  
  
He began to walk over to Phillip, who was still lying face down in the dirt, staring at a worm not two centimeters from his eye.  
  
"I say Phillip, you've managed to get your uniform awfully dirty. Whatever will the teachers say?" Jacob barely repressed a smile of mirth. As a friend called him, he turned to walk away.  
  
Draco caught his wrist.   
  
"Jacob, I'm going now, I may see you later." He spoke urgently, then let go as Jacob nodded and smiled gratefully. Bobby Midgen, younger brother of one hatefully spiteful Eloise Midgen waved at his best friend.  
  
Draco turned to move, then stopped as someone stood in his way.  
  
"I know that you can hear me, invisible Draco. I heard you. And I'll get my revenge. Oh, but don't you worry, I'll get my revenge." Phillip snarled blankly at the air. Draco contemplated replying, but decided it was beneath him, and walked off.  
  
"I'd love to see that little wanker try and tell the teachers that Jacob siked an invisible man onto him..." he muttered to himself.   
  
Despite a certain part of himself that sounded awfully like his father reprimanding him for helping filthy muggles and mudbloods and actually going out of his way for doing so, he couldn't help but allow a small smile to brush his pale lips as he yanked off the invisibility cloak and continued to walk down the street.  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
He stared at himself, a stranger looking back at him.   
  
He didn't look like he had before, nor did he look how he had looked after his stint in jail.  
  
He didn't know who the two strange men were, or what they were doing with Herumane, but he knew he was safe.  
  
The crust of sleep had been washed from his eyes, the crystallised tears wiped off his lashes. His hair had been washed and trimmed (We'll take you to a hairdresser later, Hermione had said) and he had been allowed a razor for the first time in two years.   
  
He was pale. He was godawfully pale. Kami help him, he could pass for a gajin.   
  
Deprivation of sunlight did that to you. He looked sick.  
  
And the hard, muscled body he had before he went into the big one was replaced by a pale, weak one. His ribs showed through, and the scars were dark against the white skin.  
  
Everything was an effort.   
  
But now...he looked critically at the long spill of dark hair that framed his face.  
  
"I don't rike it." He said in slightly-accented english.  
  
"But Masako, you look so beautiful!" Hermione had exclaimed, "Like a bishounen!"  
  
"Rike a pretty boy...and pretty boys do what? They kiss other pretty boys." He muttered, shaking his head, the glossy wave of black hair swaying back and forth.  
  
"I do not rike boys, Harumane, I rike girus." He said ruefully.  
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
"Harry! Come here! Masako's ashamed to go out because he thinks he looks too much like a girl!" Hermione waved him over.  
  
Harry, who had been sulking over Hermione's sudden new absorption in the stranger came over broodily.  
  
"He does." And immediately regretted it as Masako let out a rotten moan and looked rather depressed.  
  
"Come on, eat first." Harry motioned for Masako to follow, and Hermione told them she'd be down in a minute, after cleaning up the bathroom.  
  
Any depression Masako had been feeling quickly was beaten into submission by the food placed in front of him. Sure, it was only instant ramen, but it was better than the slop he had been served in 'the big house'. After polishing off four bowls...leaving Sirius to shake his head and scrawl something on a piece of paper that could have passed for a grocery list, he patted his stomach and burped noisily.  
  
"Ah! Gomen." He stood and stretched.  
  
"Sank you. Sank you very very much. You do not know how much I owe you." He bowed deeply to Sirius, almost bending in half, and also to Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Only about 2 pounds," Sirius joked.  
  
Masako looked at him blankly.  
  
"I wir go to my house and get the money immediately." He stood.  
  
"It was a joke Masako! Sit down, you are still weak!" Hermione went to push him back in his seat, but he waved her off.  
  
"No. I have been absent for too long. I wir return."  
  
And before they could say anything, he was out the door. Hermione blinked, and sat down.  
  
"Tea, anyone?" A dazed Sirius asked.  
  
____________________________________________________________________  
  
Um ok yet another plotless wonder. *shrugs* It'll get better soon, I promise! Draco'll go...oooh, but I can't give away the plot now, can I? *winks* But the next two chapters will be exciting... I hope... *shrugs* and yes, there will be more D/Her!!! :P LONG LIVE ENEMIES!! I mean...lovers!! :P hhaha  
  
heheh :P  
  
Read and review, if you please!   
  
THANKS TO  
  
DiOsA4u: LOL well I did...i dunno if it's waht you want tho...I know, i know, more D/Her action...*shakes head*  
  
annonymouse: You're back!!! :P hahah omg I'm on sumones fave list! So happy! Happy happy happy! :P (u gotta have watched australia's big brother to get it) hheheh thanks for reading!!  
  
princessfantasy: Lucy is some girl in most of Atmosphere's songs...I wanted to edit it out, but that would be lame and it'd make the song shitty, so I didn't cut it out...there is a character in this story called Lucy, right near the start, but she's just a little supporting muscle to Eloise, so she's not important...heheh :P (that's Lucy Balle)  
  
mutsumi- hahha well she won't find out...yet...heheh well not until..hey I can't tell you this! I'm giving it away, dammit! :P lols   
  
SlytherinsGothGoddess/megan- LOL thanks!! Awww ur review's so niiice... *huggles and betty crocker cookies*  
  
BellethePhilosopher'sCookie- Thanks for reviewing my other stories also!! LOLs sorri if I offended you, didn't mean to... heheh  
  
Starknight- It is? Sorri, just do it out of habit...LOL :P well as long as it's interesting to ya, might as well continue!  
  
ArtemisMoonClaw- You're reviews gone, so I'm guessing you and sum1 else had the same nick? But THANKS for reviewing all my stories! you legend! 


	14. Silk Screens Sunegiwara no Masako

[BeLieViNG iN You]  
  
Chapter 15: Silk Screens  
  
He stepped out of the taxi and stared.  
  
The house was just as he remembered it, although the thick, solid outer wall of morbid grey stone was beginning to crumble. His eyes slid over the rugged wall, the rough concrete overgrown with ivy creepers, some of the leaves yellowing and dying but as a whole a green relief from the cement.  
  
The soft sound of the taxi driver clearing his throat brought Masako back to reality as he paid the driver and slammed the door shut.  
  
It seemed like so long.  
  
The haunted house, the ghosts, the memories. He was the last one left.   
  
Sunegiwara no Masako, the heir to the Sune fortune. He wasn't sure if Herumane knew of the assassination of his parents, but he had little intention of telling her.   
  
Placing his hand slowly on the cold iron gate, he pushed it open, wincing at the eerie no-noise it made. The silence, but for the wind and rustle of dry leaves. Somewhere in the far background he could hear the click click of a neighbours rotational sprinklers.  
  
An empty overgrown courtyard greeted his eyes, the result of servants long gone. However untidy everything was, it was still servicable, perhaps even able to be saved. Long grass stalks swayed, the narrow cobblestone path ruptured by grass root runners. And there was his sakura tree, standing proudly in amongst the mess, his cherry blossom, her wooden trunk still thick and healthy as ever. And the flowers, the lacey dress and crown that adorned his garden and the tree made everything alright, made it feel like home. A very lonely home, the wind whispered through the grass, stirring the blades and fallen blossoms.  
  
Masako made no move to enter his house, instead opting for his first cigarette in two years. With a sigh he sat down on his stoop and lit a thin white cigarette up. He stared at his forearms, at the numbers and scars and tattoo's upon them. The lifetime of memories began to blur as one defiant tear and yet another fought to escape his eyes.  
  
Eyes wide, never blinking, never shutting, the tears fell of their own violation to splatter on the white stone steps.  
  
Breathe out the smoke, watch the tendrils curl around the air, choking it.  
  
And he heard cars pull up.  
  
Heavy, european luxury cars crunching up the gravel.  
  
Sighing, he stubbed out his cigarette on the sun-bleached step and dusted off his pants as he stood to greet his visitors.  
  
They were quick to know.  
  
The gate swung open, and a group of figures ('How many? Count 1, 2, 7 Masako...') entered, dressed from head to toe in black.  
  
They marched up the path like an army of ants until they reached where the grass flattened out and they could spread out as a group.  
  
The silence was heavy, Masako's head lowered respectfully in a bow as the head of the group put his hand on his shoulder and made him rise.  
  
"Little Brother, you've been away for so long, I hope you haven't gone soft in the head, will you continue to follow me? Do as I say?"  
  
Masako knew it wasn't his fault, that they couldn't have saved him, this decadent life he led before was of his own choosing.  
  
"Yes Brother Jun I follow you till the end, I made that promise four years ago, things haven't changed." He heard soft footsteps and the cruching of gravel as Tanaka Jun turned away from him, the pressure of Jun's hand leaving his shoulder.  
  
Masako raised his head.   
  
Tanaka Junichiro, or Jun for short, the head of his division here in Britain. He controlled the outer suburban ring and a majority of the urban community of London. Master Jun, or Jade Eye. He was nearing his late forties now, a rich man, pleasing to the eye with his head of full hair, even if it was greying. Their small elite group, or the M82 Sector was an underground organisation that was highly recognised in the underworld, both as Yakuza and Triad gangs.   
  
Jun was a very powerful man. He had never had family close to him because he knew the constant threat and danger of rebellious or opposing forces, instead he only took lovers and any resulting offspring were sadly never to know the father that supported their mother and themselves. Standing at an easy 5'11", one only had to look into Juns strangely coloured eyes to see the great reservoirs of wisdom in there.  
  
He was now facing the east wall, sighing and shaking his head at the overgrown mess the gardens, once so beautiful, had become.  
  
"I am sorry for your loss, Masako-kun." He spoke fluent English with the lilt of his natural Tokyo accent. Masako felt the pain wrench at his heart once again. Jun had hardly known his sister! Or his mother or father...how could he understand?  
  
But he had known Masako from an early age. From the tender age of 15, when he had seen Masako playing soccer in a field by himself, Masako had been under the watchful eye of Jun. The elder had always been there, watching, waiting. There was rumours that Masako was his chosen successor...if Masako did not get himself killed first. Known for his passion and his somewhat detrimental hobbies, Masako had a reputation for being reckless.  
  
Jun's voice startled him from his reverie once again.  
  
"We have found the assassins."  
  
Masako looked up as the world seemed to slow down, as the thumping of his heart seemed to grow ever louder, as the blood that seemed to course sluggishly through his veins previously became a roaring, thundering rush.  
  
"Nani? Will we be allowed to take revenge?"  
  
Jun smiled a ruthless smile, flicking the cigarette butt onto the driveway and crushing it into the gravel with his toe.  
  
"Of course. Nobody touches Sunegiwara no Masako and gets away with it. All you have to do, is think up the perfect revenge. Remember our rules Masako. And all will be well."  
  
"Of course, Brother Jun." Masako bowed respectfully. Rule One; Always give face to your society. Rule Two; Sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind. Rule Three; Love, Honour and Obey. Rule Four; The path to the saint's life was paved with righteousness. Even after all the delusion and hallucination, he could never forget the code. In some ways, it was the samurai code for soldiers like himself.  
  
Brother Jun smiled at him kindly, the smile not quite reaching his empty yet brilliant green eyes and he clasped his arm warmly. He turned to go, the small army turning to leave with him.  
  
"Chotto matte kudasai..." Masako called. (Wait a moment...)  
  
"Nan da yo?" Jun asked. (What is it?)  
  
"What is their name?" Masako asked. Jun hesitated.  
  
"The Chang Clan. They do have their alliances however, and Yuri was killed by one Eloise Midgen. But your mother and father were assassinated by Chang Shui Lung and Chang Ji Ket."  
  
With that, they left the yard. Masako did not bother with a good bye because it was assured he would see them again.  
  
Fate pre-ordained it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: *ahem* cough cough guess how this is going to inter-relate with the Harry Potter continum. *cough* Chang *cough*Sorry for the lackage of any original Harry Potter characters in this chapter...and intense focus on Masako...but I thought he needed a bit of background...I promise H, Her and D will be in the next chapter! And again, sorri for the lackage of updating also. Busy with starting TAFE and also work...-.-" aiyahhh...and again, thank you for reading!  
  
THANK YOU's:  
  
ICKLE RONNIEKINS GIRLIE  
  
Why thank you for liking my story. Does that mean you'll continue to read it? :D  
  
LEMONSTEALER  
  
LOL ur review is not stupid. *frowns* I've lost my first Nic Tse cd. :( so sorry if any future chapters get depressing...author has PMS...ahahah jks. It will be merry and jolly...but I can't promise that. LOL oh and sorry this wasn't posted sooner. Sila was busy.... :(   
  
TOMMY GURL  
  
*scolds you* aren't you meant to be my beta? LOL *blush* sorry it's my fault not yours...gomen nasai...LOL I used to be into anime...and then...i wasn't...but I'd still spend a fortune on the things if I could buy any decent ones...but I have to go to tokyo to get those... o.0 Dammit. Which characters from before are you talking about? I dunno. Kids just have a sixth sense *shivers coz sila's reminded of the movie with the creepy lil kid that can see dead ppl* LOL no because hermione is ignorant. Maybe one day. Later on in the story. I hope this answers all your questions! *mwah*  
  
WILLETE AKA BELLE  
  
Hey u changed your name! hehe LOL yea like I said...alot of my story is plotless and just an escape for random imagery in my head that seems like a good idea at the time.   
  
HOPELESS ROMANTIC  
  
You! Might Like! But! I don't! intend! on finishing!! anytime! Soon! &!*! okay?! but thanks for reading and reviewing neway. :) kudos to you.  
  
MERIMEET  
  
LOL i doubt you're still checking back everyday to see if I have a new chapter because I am ugly and therefore haven't posted in a long time...mesa sorry :( *camel eyes* But here you go!!! :D  
  
LITTLE TINA1  
  
Okay...well i continued :) so tell me if good or bad....ahahah :P  
  
SUSHIFELTON  
  
I'm only just wondering now if anyone is even going to read these notes because I know I don't... -.-" and also these reviews were a long long time ago...*sigh* sila is so gayed... I'm glad you like the plot! I'm even gladder you could find one!! :D  
  
AUBS2006  
  
Here is more! :D me lub you long time if you review again... :P  
  
MISSWILLTURNER  
  
Yes...indeed I should change the rating. I will one day. In fact I might even do it after i finish typing allllllll these notes... x.x *sniff*  
  
TRIGEMINI  
  
You're BACK! xoxoxoxoo for being one of my longest reviewing/suffering readers!!! And...here is the new chapter. But...I'm sorry...it has no her/d...but the next will i promise! Sila knows she deserves a spanking... :( *elf ears droop* aahhaha I wish I had elf ears...  
  
FF.NETSIMON  
  
Well I did indeed. So I hope you liked it....*Fingers crossed* :D  
  
BLACKDRAGONOFDEATH13  
  
Have you seen my Nic Tse cd? :'( and why THANK you for the review...xoxox heheh  
  
MUTSUMI  
  
doomo arigatou for the review. continue I have. Now review you must....ok I admit I suck at the yoda thing. sorry. Sila was gay to even attempt it...*sniff* ahahha  
  
ARTEMIS MOONCLAW  
  
You're back also!!! xoxoxooxxo vanilla sugar and yummy chocolate dip and strawberries to you!! :D Continue? Continue what? Ohhh.... uhh...of course...right after I change the rating on this... x.x I dunno I suck at writing recently...lack of creativity...even my art sucks :'(  
  
INSANITYSQUIRREL321  
  
You know, your name is kinda freaky. But I love u for reviewing and reading anyway. And continue I did indeed. As I've mentioned about 50 gazillion times on this page already... -.-"  
  
FOXXGLOVE  
  
ahahha well you see I am a cruel and unusual person (therefore I am some sort of CUP) and you will not FIND out what is going to happen next in this chapter because it is allll about Masako...and it's not even very interesting stuff about Masako. Oh but don't you worry my pretty, there's a pretty little...uhhhh fishing thing... I mean lure! Like tempter thingy in there...oh wait nevermind...there's a taste of things to come for the smart ones who can read the fine print! ehheh xoxoxo my foots dead. .  
  
JULES  
  
New Draco? Nice?....:( does that mean I have to keep him that way? man I have to go back and read again now... -.-" lol heheh jks i'll see what I can do...  
  
ANNONYMOUS;)  
  
Indeed you are not. And continue writing I have.  
  
and that is IT bwhahahhahahaha I feel so loved... 


	15. Make Ups

BeLieViNG iN YoU

Chapter 13: Make-Ups

"Show me what it's like To be the last one standing Teach me wrong from right And I'll show you what I can me Just say it to me, say it for me And I'll leave this life behind me Say it if it's worth saving me..."

I had to atone for my mistakes. Be a man. Grow some balls. Sucking in a deep breath, I looked up at the place I had called home these past few weeks...the place I found myself heading towards if I didn't concentrate hard enough on where I actually intended going sometimes.

I had spoken to Cousin Damien. Besides proffering some half-witted advice about "kiss and make-up" the fellow wasn't even decent enough to have a conversation longer than 2 minutes due to his screaming twins in the background. Children...adorable but made to be seen, not heard...if I ever produced offspring they would be very cute, very quiet, and very small. Rather like a pocket calculator, in fact. Hopefully as intelligent, too.

I sighed and dallied as much as I could, stood outside, until a neighbour came out to ask me if I was quite alright, then forced myself to lift that heavy brass knocker.

She answered.

I wished upon wish that she looked like hell when she answered that door, that she was uncomposed from crying over me and that her face was blotched and tear-stained, but no. The wench was as composed as that first day I met her, all those years ago, her perfect unblemished skin so smooth...her eyes clear and bright and expressionless as a stone.

Inside, my heart was breaking, outside, I was acting just fine.

"Hermione...I'm sorry"  
"For what?" She asked me, cool as an ice cube.  
"For everything." Sensing this wasn't quite definitive enough, I hastened to elaborate.  
"For hurting you. For not being there when you needed me. For leaving." A sneer twisted her pretty lips. I knew what was coming, and I knew I deserved it. I looked at her hand, and I saw my rings there. Mine. She was mine. It brought a smile to my face. Oops. She had been talking and I hadn't been paying attention, in my little la-la land, I was.  
"...so you think it's funny, do you? Shit Malfoy, I should've known you would never change! Always the same, immature, conceited, snobbish...mmpf!" I cut her delightfully annoying voice off by grabbing her by the shoulders, staring intently into her eyes and silencing her lips with mine. She tasted so good, better than a heaven sent delight. There was nothing on earth that came close. Except for that one time that I spent with her...I thought I'd died and my soul had exploded into a million pieces. It feels that way with the one you love, you know. It feels like.  
slap  
A whole lot of pain on my left cheek. A slight burning sensation also. And about five foot four of furious, tearful woman staring at you from her doorstep.  
"How dare you"  
"You think you can just waltz back into my life like that? I'm no fool Draco Malfoy, and you crossed the line!" My face fell.  
"Hermione...I"  
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't spit in your face and kick you to the curb right now." She breathed heavily, her voice wraught with emotion. Angrily wiping the tears away, she looked so vulnerable. "Hermione...you're completely right." I sighed, dejectedly. Her face turned stunned.  
"Wha"  
"I am an egotistical, shallow, self-absorbed bastard. But I was hoping that you would change me. That I could learn to be a better person from your example. I know how unbelievable it sounds, but at least once in this lifetime, I want to know how it feels to be on the other side. To be a good person. To love, and be loved in return. I was hoping that, although I pushed you so far, you would have it in you to give me one more chance. But I understand even if you don't...I don't deserve it. All I want, is for you to be by my side. My one wish, is to be with you again, as a lover or even as a friend. I can't understand this feeling Hermione, this pain, it feels like it's tearing apart my very soul. No matter how much I want to go hurt someone else, so they can feel this pain I'm feeling right now...I can't...because everytime I close my eyes...all I see is your face"  
Draco whispered. During his dialogue, he had sunk to his knees, look desperate and haunted, and Hermione felt pity tug at her heart. Towards the end, he almost was in tears.

Something whispered to her. "Take pity on the wretched bastard..."

Gritting her teeth, she offered her hand out. As Draco looked up at her, amazement and hope on his face, all she could do was give him a small smile as she pulled him to his feet.  
"Come inside darling, it's cold out tonight"  
Swearing to God he would never turn his back and that he would be eternally grateful at this second chance at life, Draco Malfoy allowed himself to be led by the hand into the house that he would call home again, with the expression of joy and amazement on his face that a parent gives a newborn child.

He was home. Everything would be okay.

REVIEWS:

Thanks to all who reviewed! muak muaks

MEG: Why thank you...unfortunately I haven't updated in like...erm...a year or two...for good reasons though, I promise! LOL if you're still reading...then thank you for being so dedicated!

ONLY WISH: Erms...this was not asap...I'm so sorry! (

THE SLYTHRIN DRAGON: Shit...my family was killed? Noooooooooooo TT Yeh...quite a bit of delay between chapters on this one...so sorry!! Again...gomen nasai...

SHADOWFOXSAMA: Well yes...and I'm glad u didn't add the word "soon" hahhahah

TRIGEMINI: A familiar name!!! I miss youuuuuuuuuuuu!! Weren't u my beta reader at some stage? looks puzzled Hrrrms...runs off thanks for coming back!! Well...not much happened in this one...I'm getting back into it SLOWLY...that means...no action until creativity comes back...but it's all good...most of the story is plotless or randomly plotted anyway P You should be used to it!! hahahah

FLUFFYDUCK: Another familiar name! I have...ASBSOLOUTELY NO IDEA what song ur on about ) xoxooxox

...i think that was all the reviews I got. xoxoxoxoxo see you soon!! 


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